Here Comes Santa Claws
by The Literary Dragon
Summary: Kagome goes to sleep in her own bed on Christmas Eve and wakes up at the North Pole. She won't be able to return home for a whole year. Who knew that Santa Claus had dog ears? InuKag some MirSan
1. A Grownup Christmas Wish

_Hi all! Here is a neat little story that popped into my head. Wish I'd thought of it earlier, though. I don't think I will get it finished before Christmas. If you want a traditional Christmas story with a jolly fat man in a red suit, then this is not the story for you. Let me know what you think! And, as always... Enjoy!_

HERE COMES SANTA CLAWS

Chapter 1: A Grown-up Christmas Wish

A dark-haired teenage girl leaned out of her bedroom window, watching the sky as it slowly darkened. It was cold and snow lay in dirty piles here and there. As the sky deepened from blue to black, the girl's watchfulness was finally rewarded.

"There it is, Buyo!" She pointed at the night sky. "The first star." Buyo, a large, somewhat chubby cat, meowed at her from his cozy spot in the middle of her comforter.

The girl ignored her lazy cat. She clasped her hands at her chest. "Star light. Star bright. First star I see to night. I wish I may. I wish I might. Have the wish I wish tonight."

With a heavy sigh, she turned away from the window and walked over to her bed. She sat on the edge. Buyo blinked at her and maneuvered his bulk until he could nudge her hand with his nose. Absently, she obliged by scratching the obese cat behind the ears.

"What's the use, Buyo?" she said to the contentedly purring cat. "Wishes don't come true. Even when wished upon a star." She smiled at the cat. "But you don't care about that, do you? Not as long as there is somebody to scratch your ears and fill your food bowl.

The loud thumping of feet out in the hall gave her just a moment's warning before the door burst inwards.

"Hey, Kagome!" a cheerful, dark-haired little boy shouted. "It's time to hang the stockings. Santa's coming tonight. You won't get any neat stuff in your stocking if you don't hang it up."

"Souta!" Kagome pushed Buyo away and stood up. "How many times have I told you to knock? You don't just come barging in!"

Souta grinned, unrepentant. "Sorry, sis. But you better hurry or Grandpa will try to put one of his special medicines in your hot chocolate again. If you drink it you'll either get a boyfriend or grow a mustache." Laughing, Souta ran out the door just as Kagome grabbed the nearest pillow to throw at him.

With a sigh, Kagome dropped the pillow and followed her brother down the stairs. Mama was standing next to the six-foot tall Christmas tree, adjusting the bows and silver bells. Grandpa was standing uncomfortably close to the tray of steaming hot chocolate, and looking entirely too innocent for Kagome's peace of mind.

Mama looked up at the sound of her daughter entering the room. "Kagome," she said. "You're just in time. We were just about to hang the stockings."

"Do we have to do this every year, Mama?" Kagome asked. "I'm fifteen now. I'm too old for this."

"It's tradition, Kagome," Grandpa said reprovingly. "Tradition is always important."

"We have to, sis," Souta said. "This way, Santa will know that we've been good and that we appreciate him. And he'll leave us lots of presents!"

"All right."

Kagome only listened with half an ear to her brother's chatter as he removed his bright red stocking with the furry white trim from its special box. Souta smoothed the fabric, touching the reindeer and snowmen that had been sewn onto it. He traced the bright green letters of his name.

Kagome sighed, wishing she could just go back to her room. Christmas just reminded her of how alone she was. Eri and Yuka each had boyfriends that they had been seeing since the beginning of the school year. Yuka was even going to be allowed to spend part of Christmas day at his house, seeing that their families knew each other well and had been friends for years. Even shy, gentle Ayumi had started accepting dates from a cute boy last week.

Kagome sighed again. She was doomed. Boys would start to show an interest, and then would inexplicably back off. Her friends assured her that it wasn't her. It was the weird stories surrounding the shrine where she lived with her family. As if anything strange had ever happened to her or anyone else! Except for Papa...

"Hey, Kagome!" Souta's voice broke into her gloomy thoughts.

Startled, she snapped, "What?"

Souta pouted. "It's your turn, Kagome. Hang up your stocking and make your Christmas wish."

"That is the silliest—"

Mama shook her head and Kagome stopped. Her little brother still believed in Christmas wishes and reindeer that could fly. He even believed in Santa Claus. Mama had made it plain to her that she was not to say anything that would damage Souta's belief.

_Yeah,_ Kagome thought furiously. _If there were such things as a Santa Claus and Christmas wishes, then Papa would still be here._

She grabbed her stocking from the box, trying not to look at the only one left. "Papa" was stitched across it. Mama refused to get rid of it. She said that it belonged to Christmas memories and should remain with the other memories of Christmases past and present.

"Did you make your wish?" Souta demanded.

Kagome gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. She meant to only pretend, but found herself thinking about her wish earlier in the evening. _I wish I could find someone special._

Mama stepped forward and gave her shoulders a quick squeeze. "That's my girl. I'm proud of you for keeping your promise." Kagome opened her eyes and gave Mama a weak smile.

"Who wants hot chocolate?" Grandpa asked, picking up one of the mugs.

"Hot chocolate!" Souta squealed.

When it was her turn, Kagome took her mug with a suspicious sniff. "You didn't add anything 'special' to this, did you, Grandpa?"

Grandpa looked shocked. "What? My own granddaughter doesn't trust me! What is the world coming to? To think that I would stoop to something that sneaky."

"Yes, you would," Kagome said dryly.

Grandpa harrumphed and took a sip of his drink. He glanced over to see Kagome still watching him, her hot chocolate untouched. "I didn't do anything."

Kagome took a cautious sip, pleased with the chocolaty taste. There was no hint of the unusual ingredients her grandfather was prone to adding.

"Ungrateful girl," he muttered. "And after everything I do for you. If you'd just listen to me, you wouldn't have any of these silly relationship problems."

"That's enough, Grandpa," Mama chided gently. "Kagome is only fifteen. There's plenty of time for her to find a boyfriend. Besides, this way she has more time to devote to her studies."

"My beautiful young granddaughter should be out with boys and girls her own age," he stated. "Not hanging around the shrine all the time, or mewed up in her room with a stack of schoolbooks. She needs more friends!"

"Kagome has friends," Souta piped up.

"Yes, she does, dear," Mama said. "But Grandpa means other kinds of friends."

"That's right," Grandpa said. "A fine young man who's not afraid of hard work. Someone to pass on the history of the shrine. Who listens." He looked hard in Souta's direction. "Unlike certain people."

"Aw, Grandpa. History's boring. If I'm not in school, I don't see why I have to learn."

Kagome raised her mug to her mouth again, only to discover it was empty. Maybe she'd go to bed. Nobody was paying attention to her, even if she was the topic of conversation.

"I'm going to bed," she announced. Mama smiled vaguely in her direction. Souta and Grandpa continued arguing about the usefulness of learning outside of school. They didn't even look up. "Good night."

Once in her room, Kagome carefully shut her door. The low buzz of voices faded completely. Buyo looked up, not having moved from his spot in the middle of her bed. He yawned, curling his pink tongue and stretching out his toes.

Kagome walked over to her window. Clouds had filled the sky while she was downstairs, closing off the stars completely. "Looks like snow. Souta will be happy." She stretched before going to the bed and climbing under the covers. Buyo protested, but eventually resituated himself on the sheet next to her head.

Her eyes grew heavy. Kagome rolled over, burying her face in the pillow. Her gentle snores soon joined those of the cat.

* * *

A blanket of calm settled over the sleeping city. All but the most foolish of souls had found someplace warm to hole up. The brief snowstorm had passed and stars once more pricked the night sky. 

Briefly, a darker shadow blotted out a portion of stars near the Higurashi house. It sailed through the air, touching down on the roof. Hissing and a cloud of steam rose up as the snow abruptly melted. Two figures climbed off of the first one.

"Nice landing, Kirara," the larger of the shadowy figures whispered. "Wait here. We won't be long."

The smallest figure leaped to the other one's shoulder. "There's no chimney, Inuyasha. You'll have to phase directly through the roof."

Inuyasha snorted. Moonlight glinted off pure white hair and sharp fangs as the older boy grinned. "There's no need to waste magic phasing through the roof, Shippou. Not when there's a window nearby."

"A window!" Shippou squeaked. "Are you crazy, Inuyasha? What if somebody sees you?" His bushy tail bristled with anxiety.

"You worry too much." The white-haired boy plucked the smaller one off of his shoulder and placed him in the snow next to the large cat with flames licking around her paws. "The old hag is always lecturing me about wasting magic. So I'll find another way in. Maybe then she'll leave me in peace for a few weeks."

Inuyasha crept silently to the edge of the roof. Anybody looking at him might have seen the two fuzzy white ears twitching on top of his head. They swiveled constantly as he listened for danger.

"What luck," Inuyasha said, remembering to keep his voice down. "There's a window right here."

Carefully, he grabbed hold of the roof and swung his body over the edge, grunting as his muscles quivered with the strain. It would have been easier to just drop and grab for the windowsill, but then somebody might hear him.

The sill was just wide enough that he was able to balance. The window was closed. Some experimental fiddling revealed that it wasn't locked. He slid it open, wincing at the slight squeak.

"Inuyasha!"

He looked up to see Shippou peering at him anxiously from the roof. With a grin that showed his fangs, he gave the small fox a thumb's up signal.

He was unprepared for the sudden weight as Shippou landed on his shoulder. His claws sank into the wood on either side of the window as he struggled to keep his balance. Bracing himself, he pushed and rolled into the room.

Scowling, he picked up the fox by the tail. "What did you think you were doing?" he hissed. "We both could have fallen."

Shippou glared at him as best he could while being held upside down. "I wanted to help. That's what I'm supposed to be doing."

"All right." Inuyasha dropped Shippou to the floor. "Just be quiet. We don't want to wake anybody."

"What room are we in, anyway?" Shippou asked.

A soft meow answered him. Startled, Shippou looked around for the source of the sound. He saw two faintly curious eyes peering at him from next to a mound of blankets. Nose twitching, he ventured forward a couple of steps. The rules didn't say anything about not revealing oneself to animals. A darker shadow spilled across the pillow next to the obese feline.

Suddenly, the mound sighed and rolled over. Shippou sprang backwards about a foot, mouth open and ready to yell about monsters. Inuyasha clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Of all the fucking luck!" Inuyasha glared at the bed. "We came into a bedroom! A girl's bedroom!"

Now that his heart had calmed down, Shippou wiggled out of Inuyasha's hold. Wide-eyed, he gazed around at what he had ignored before. Dresser, desk, pink rug, bed. Definitely a bedroom.

"She's not so bad," Shippou commented. "She looks kind of cute."

Inuyasha snorted. "That's because she's sleeping. Now be quiet. We don't want to wake her."

At that moment, the girl began to move restlessly and mutter unintelligible phrases.

Shippou jumped onto Inuyasha's shoulder. "What do we do? She's waking up! Inuyasha!"

"I'm thinking," Inuyasha snapped, eyes never leaving the restless form.

* * *

_What do you think?_

**Food for Thought: **If everything seems to be coming your way, you're probably in the wrong lane.


	2. Problems in Toyland

_I am so glad that people are enjoying the story so far. Your reviews make me happy._

_I want to thank EmeraldDragon, my beta reader. She helps me keep the plot holes small._

_Enjoy the chapter!_

HERE COMES SANTA CLAWS

Chapter 2: Problems in Toyland

"Do something," Shippou squeaked. "If she sees us, we'll be in so much trouble!"

"You think I don't know that," Inuyasha snapped. He reached inside his old-fashioned red jacket and pulled out a small pouch. Carefully, he took a pinch of silver glittery dust and blew it in the girl's direction, muttering strange words.

The dust settled in a cloud over the girl, before seeming to disappear into her skin. She sighed one last time and slipped into a deeper slumber.

"Whew!" Shippou drew his hand across his forehead in an exaggerated fashion. "That was close."

"Feh." Inuyasha snorted and slipped the bag back inside his jacket. "Told ya I knew what I was doing. Come on. We've got work to do."

The cat, which had been unaffected by the dust, snuggled a bit more into the blankets and went back to sleep.

Inuyasha opened the door and led the way along the hall and down the stairs, trusting to natural abilities to help him avoid detection. At least this place didn't have dogs. Just the unimpressive overweight feline. He shuddered. Nasty things. Dogs. They either wanted to guard everything, or thought he was there to play.

They made it downstairs and into the room where the tree lurked, silent and waiting. Inuyasha sneezed.

"Stupid Christmas incense," he grumbled. "Stupid fake snow. Why people insist on bringing the outdoors indoors I'll never understand."

Shippou scampered onto the back of a nearby chair. "Ooooh. Pretty. Look at all the sparkly balls, Inuyasha."

"Yeah, yeah. Very Christmasy. We don't have time to be admiring the decorations, runt. We have a schedule to keep. Do you have the list?"

"This is the last house," Shippou protested. He fumbled around in his pockets until finally extracting the much-folded piece of paper.

"All the more reason to get this over with so we can get home." Inuyasha unfolded the paper and peered at the unchecked names. "The old man and the woman are nice. Souta Higurashi. Not above boyish pranks, mostly harmless. He's nice. Kagome Higurashi. Must be that girl who's bedroom we were in. Hmmm. Looks like even she made the nice list." Inuyasha peered closer at the last name. "Looks like there's a star next to her name. Wonder what that means?"

He looked at the stockings again. "I don't believe this! They even put up a fucking stocking for the fucking cat! All he wishes for are food, uninterrupted naps, and more food!"

Shippou scrambled around under the tree, checking out the presents. He emerged, holding a small box. "Look at this one, Inuyasha. I wonder what it is." He gave it a shake. Something tinkled inside.

Shippou's eyes grew wide. "I didn't do it!" Quickly, he shoved the box under a pile of other presents.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Come here before you cause anymore damage." Shippou scampered up to sit on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"All right." Inuyasha shook back his sleeves and removed the small bag from its hiding place. "Let's make some magic!"

He sprinkled a small portion of silver dust on each stocking, muttering slightly different words than he had used before. The stockings glowed briefly and obligingly filled themselves with a selection of toys and treats.

A frown of concentration furrowing his brow, he turned immediately to the tree. With another generous sprinkling of dust, new presents added themselves to the other ones under the tree.

Thanks to the magic of the dust, adults and other nonbelievers would "remember" purchasing the surprise presents themselves. The children, of course, would know the truth. Children always knew more than their elders gave them credit for.

Inuyasha sighed, the look of strain sliding away to be replaced with one of weariness. "All done, fox. Let's go home."

Shippou nodded agreement as his companion headed for the stairs. He quickly became alarmed at the direction they were heading.

"What are you doing, Inuyasha?" he squeaked. "Shouldn't we just phase out the door?"

Inuyasha snorted. "I'm completely wiped. Don't have enough concentration left to light a candle, much less phase through solid wood. This way will be quicker and easier, trust me."

Shippou stayed silent, his tail fluffed with unease. Inuyasha automatically entered the girl's bedroom. It would just waste time, trying to find an unoccupied room with access to the outside. Luckily, the girl still slept.

Inuyasha spared Kagome a brief glance, mostly to make sure she was truly sleeping. Snores reached his ears, which he flattened to block out some of the noise. Shippou was still quiet, which was good as far as Inuyasha was concerned. Normally, the little chatterbox never shut up.

Inuyasha had taken two strides into the room when the girl made a horrendous noise. She rolled over and her eyes opened. Inuyasha froze while she blinked sleepily.

He was trying to decide if he could reach the window before she noticed him when he saw her eyes abruptly focus. There was no doubt that she saw him. Her eyes went wide and she jerked upright in the bed.

"Who are you?"

"You don't see us," Inuyasha told her sternly, trying to sound like he was in command of the situation. "We don't exist. We're just figments of your imagination."

"I am _not_ imagining things," Kagome said, her voice rising. "You'd better explain yourselves before I scream."

Inuyasha scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't have to explain nothing, bitch."

"Not smart, Inuyasha," whispered Shippou. He peered at the girl from his perch on Inuyasha's shoulder, and smiled in a friendly way. "We won't hurt you. We're just passing through."

Kagome did not look reassured. "That thing on your shoulder talks?" Shippou was insulted.

"The runt's right," Inuyasha said. "We won't hurt you. Just don't scream."

"Don't tell me what to do!" Kagome flared. "I can scream if I want to." And she drew breath as if determined to prove it.

Inuyasha reacted instantly. He sprang before Kagome could do more than open her mouth. A light tap in the right place and she was out like a light.

He picked her up and slung her over his shoulder, face down. Using his powerful legs, he leaped to the windowsill. From there he scrambled up to the roof where Kirara was patiently waiting.

Shippou picked himself up from where he had tumbled when Inuyasha moved. With one last glance at the bedroom and the surprised feline still curled up on the bed, he climbed out the window himself.

"What do you think you are doing?" Shippou demanded once he reached the roof. "Couldn't you have just put her back to sleep? She probably would have convinced herself that it was all a dream by morning."

Inuyasha looked up from studying the girl, who was now lying on the melted snow at the firecat's feet. "I told you," he said furiously. "I'm completely wiped. At least magically." He sighed. "We'll have to take her home. The old hag can modify her memories and we'll bring her back before anybody knows she's missing."

Shippou frowned thoughtfully. "There seems to be something wrong with that logic somehow."

"Then you try to think of a better idea," Inuyasha snapped. "Help me get her onto Kirara."

Being asleep, it soon became obvious that Kagome was not going to be able to keep herself on the firecat. After a bit of thought, Inuyasha ended up sitting the girl in front of him with an arm around her waist.

Shippou climbed onto Kirara's head, turning to check that the girl was still asleep. Worry shone in his eyes, and his tail was puffed out to twice its normal size.

"Let's go home, Kirara," Inuyasha said to the firecat. Kirara rumbled a reply and leaped into the air. Automatically, Inuyasha tightened his arm around Kagome. He sneezed as her hair blew back, tickling his nose.

Moments later, the sky was clear. Nothing showed that anything unusual had occurred except a curiously clear spot on the roof where the snow had melted.

* * *

Inuyasha relaxed as they passed the magical barrier. It was good to be home. He shifted the girl's weight in his arms. She sighed and drooled a little. Inuyasha wrinkled his nose. 

Snow-furred trees passed beneath the firecat's paws. They were clustered so thickly together that the ground couldn't be seen. Inuyasha kept his eyes trained on the trees, searching for the place he thought of as home.

"There!" Shippou bounced excitedly on Kirara's head. She grumbled in a resigned sort of way and kept going.

Inuyasha didn't need Shippou's excited shout to know that they had reached their destination. He had already seen the break in the trees and signaled to Kirara that it was time to land.

In the middle of the large clearing, huddled a handful of what could only be described as 'huts.' They weren't fancy gingerbread mansions or candy cottages—just simple dwellings made of wood with roofs of simple wooden shingles. Most were small, looking barely big enough for two or three people. The largest hut sat in the middle of all the others like a fat hen surrounded by all of her chicks.

Inuyasha knew that the size of the huts was deceptive. Anybody stumbling upon them by accident wouldn't think that they were anything special. The inside was much, much larger than the outside would give anyone reason to believe. He didn't understand how it had been done yet, but, before his training was complete, he would be able to duplicate the effect with ease.

Kirara touched down lightly in front of the largest structure. She rumbled contentedly in her throat and turned her head in the direction of the figures hurrying in their direction.

"Hey, guys!" Shippou waved wildly. "We're back! And you're not going to believe what happened to us!"

"How did it go, Inuyasha?" the first to reach them, a young man slightly older than Inuyasha, asked. He was dressed in the ancient robes of some kind of priestly order. His dark hair was tied back into a small ponytail, and he carried a large staff in one hand. "What kept you? We expected you home hours ago."

"We ran into a small problem." Inuyasha grunted and swung his leg over the firecat's back. It was hard to slide to the ground while holding an unconscious girl in his arms. "But everything's taken care of for another year."

The priest spotted the unconscious girl and shook his head, a mock scowl on his face. "You're supposed to leave gifts for others, Inuyasha, not bring home souvenirs."

The second person, a young woman, scratched the happy firecat behind the ears and peered at Inuyasha. She gasped. "What happened? Why did you bring a girl here?"

The young priest's smirk turned lecherous. "I knew Inuyasha was spending too much time in the homes of pretty girls. Sooner or later he'd bring one home." He peered more closely at the sleeping girl. "She's cute. You have great taste."

Inuyasha blushed. "It's not like that, Miroku! She woke up and saw me when we were leaving. I didn't have enough energy to modify her memory, so I brought her here. The old hag can fix it."

"Was that wise?" the young woman asked. "Kaede's not going to like this." She wore an old-style kimono, and her dark hair was tied back loosely with a ribbon. Kirara shook her head and instantly shrank until she was a quarter of her former size. With a mew, she leapt into the young woman's arms.

"I didn't have a choice, Sango," Inuyasha protested. "Let's put her someplace warm, and we can deal with this later."

"Deal with what?" An old woman appeared from out of the gloom. "'Tis good to see you have returned safely, Inuyasha." She caught sight of the girl and sighed. "What have you done now?"

"Inuyasha crawled through her bedroom window," Shippou piped up. "She almost woke up, but he put her back to sleep. When we were done, she did wake up and she almost screamed. He decided to bring her here and have you modify her memories, Kaede." The small fox finished his hurried summary of the night's events. He glared disapprovingly at his companion. "I told him it wasn't a good idea."

Kaede sighed. "Bring her inside."

They trooped into the big house after Kaede. Curious eyes followed them as they entered, but nobody stopped or questioned them. She led them into a small room with a bed and a nightstand and nothing else. It was only used when somebody wasn't feeling well or just wanted a nap.

Inuyasha laid Kagome carefully on the bed, ignoring Miroku's suggestive comments. A thump and an "ow" told him that Sango had most likely hit the perverted priest. Shippou hopped onto the bed next to Kagome.

"Still asleep," he announced. "Are you going to modify her memory now, Kaede?"

Kaede looked unusually grim. "We need to talk," she said. "There's a problem. Kagome has already had a spell cast on her once tonight. One that should have guaranteed that she would sleep until morning. It is obvious, if you had studied the list like you were supposed to, that Kagome is one of those people resistant to magical suggestion. That she was able to wake so soon after the first spell was cast speaks well for her potential."

Miroku looked thoughtful and Sango nodded in sudden understanding. Inuyasha just looked confused and irritable.

"What is that supposed to mean, old hag?" he demanded.

"It means, Inuyasha, that I won't be able to completely modify her memory. She might have convinced herself that it was all a dream, but now we'll never know. And the magic is thinning now that the night is nearly over."

"What can we do?" Shippou wailed, twitching his tail in agitation. "She seems like such a nice girl, too. Nothing bad's going to happen to her, right?"

Kaede patted Shippou on the head. "Nothing bad will happen, Shippou. Don't worry. But until the magic is strong again, we can't afford to let her leave."

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha said.

"She's staying, Inuyasha. Until the next Christmas. And since you brought her here, she's your responsibility."

**

* * *

Food for Thought: **Remember when "enter" was a sign on a door and not a button on a computer? 


	3. Santa's Workshop

_Look, it's another chapter! I think it's time I spice things up by adding a little competition. If I didn't mention this before the story is Inu/Kag. But where's the fun if things go smoothly for the two?_

_Enjoy!_

HERE COMES SANTA CLAWS

Chapter 3: Santa's Workshop

Voices woke Kagome from the most peaceful slumber she had ever enjoyed on Christmas Eve. She rolled over and buried her face in her pillow, half expecting Souta to pounce on her at any minute.

The rule of the house was that nobody could go downstairs on Christmas morning until everybody was up. And with Souta, it was impossible to sleep in later than six. Mama wouldn't let him disturb anyone before then.

She was drifting back into a light doze when a cheerful shout from somewhere jerked her more fully awake.

"Souta, go back to bed," she groaned. "I'm not ready to get up."

"Get up, you lazy bitch. I don't have time sit here all day!"

Kagome's eyes flew open. That wasn't Souta's voice. Confused memories from last night crowded her mind and she sat up abruptly.

A boy with long white hair sat in a chair next to the bed. He scowled at her.

"Watch it!" he snapped. "You sit up too fast and you'll just get dizzy and faint."

Kagome's head spun. She squinched her eyes shut and took several deep, steadying breaths. Cautiously, she opened them again. The boy was still there.

"Who are you?" she demanded. Conscious that she was clad only in a pair of pajamas, she pulled the covers up under her chin. "What are you doing in my room? Where's my family? You haven't hurt them, have you?"

The white-haired boy rolled his eyes. "I always get stuck with the demanding ones," he muttered under his breath. Louder, he said, "Listen, bitch. As far as I know, your family is fine. Even the stupid cat is fine. You-"

Kagome had finally noticed a few things. "This isn't my bedroom!" she shrieked. "Where am I? What—"

Inuyasha lunged forward to clamp a hand over her mouth, flattening his ears in irritation. Kagome noticed that his fingers were capped in vicious-looking claws. Her eyes strayed upwards to the two white ears twitching on top of his head.

"Just be quiet and I'll explain." Slowly, Inuyasha removed his hand. Satisfied that she wasn't going to scream, he sighed. "This wasn't supposed to happen. It was an accident. I thought I could fix it, but, well, things got complicated. You're safe for now. This is Kaede's house at the North Pole, and—Are you listening to me?"

Kagome hadn't really been paying attention, distracted by the soft, fuzzy triangles poking out of his snow-white hair. _I wonder if they're as soft as they look._ She reached up with both hands and grabbed the tips of his ears.

Inuyasha's eyes went impossibly wide. Kagome didn't notice, more interested in stroking and tugging gently on the appendages. She smiled.

"They're so soft," she said. Inuyasha blushed and made strangled noises.

The door flew open. "Hey, Inuyahsa, is Kagome awake?" A small form launched himself onto the bed. Shippou sat up and regarded the two teens. "Why is she touching your ears? You never let anybody touch your ears."

Kagome hastily released Inuyasha, suddenly aware that she had been fondling a strange boy's ears.

"My name's Shippou, Kagome." The small fox smiled brightly at her.

"Nice to meet you, Shippou," Kagome responded automatically. "I'm—How did you know my name?"

Shippou turned disapproving eyes on Inuyasha. "Didn't you explain anything, Inuyasha? That's what you were supposed to be doing."

"I didn't get a chance," Inuyasha protested. "You interrupted."

"Interrupted what?" Shippou snorted. "She was rubbing your ears."

"Ooooh. Sounds promising." Miroku grinned at them from the open doorway. Sango peered over his shoulder. "Did we miss something exciting?"

"What. Is. Going. On?" Kagome glared at the occupants of the room. "Who are you people? And what am I doing here instead of in my own bed where I belong?"

Everybody fell silent and exchanged uncomfortable glances. "Get dressed, Kagome." Inuyasha ordered. Only then did Kagome notice the small pile of clothes on the nightstand. "There's a lot we need to explain."

* * *

"So I'm stuck here? For an entire year?" 

Kagome sat in yet another room, dressed in a warm white sweater, a pair of jeans, and fur-lined boots. The clothes fit surprisingly well. They seemed to be brand-new, and not hand-me-downs.

She had seen other people on the short walk to this room, but only the first four she had seen were present. Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, and Shippou exchanged glances.

"We're really sorry, Kagome," Sango said earnestly.

"I promise not to tell anybody what I've seen," Kagome protested. "Why can't I go home?"

"It's not that simple, child."

Everyone looked around at the sound of the elderly voice. Kaede walked into the room, the two-tailed firecat in her kitten form at her heels. Kirara mewed and jumped onto Sango's lap.

Miroku started to rise, but Kaede waved him back down. She walked over to the large desk filling up one corner of the room and sat down in the chair behind it. Her single eye glittered with compassion as she regarded Kagome. A black patch covered the other one.

"As you have been told," Kaede said, "this is the North Pole. This is my house, and these are my helpers."

Kagome narrowed her eyes. "And you expect me to believe that you're Santa Claus?" She glanced at Inuyasha. "But he's the one I saw. Isn't he Santa Claus?"

"Stupid legends," Inuyasha muttered under his breath. "They always make things so complicated."

Kagome reached over and tugged on a lock of Inuyasha's hair. The boy yelped and jerked away. "You have the white hair, but where's your beard? Santa Claus always has a big white beard."

"The same place as the freaky flying reindeer and little people with pointed ears, bitch!" Inuyasha retorted. "I deliver the presents! I don't have to fit your ridiculous stereotype!"

Kagome's face turned red. She drew breath to yell at him, but Kaede cleared her throat, gently interrupting the fight before it could get started.

"I am older than you could possibly imagine, child," Kaede rebuked gently. "Traveling the world is for the young. Inuyasha is my apprentice. This was his first solo mission."

"And he screwed it up," Kagome retorted. "That's why I'm here. I want to go home."

Kaede sighed. "Inuyasha brought you here, which, I'll admit, is the start of the problems. The night is over and I have sealed the barrier. No one will be able to leave this domain until it is reopened next Christmas. And... " She hesitated. "You have great potential within you, child. It comes from your father and should be trained. But we will speak more of that later."

Kagome abruptly deflated. "I really am stuck here?"

"Don't worry," Sango hastened to reassure her. "It's not so bad here. I'm sure you'll like it, and the year will be over before you know it." Kagome smiled wanly.

"Has the barrier taken any more hits, Kaede?" Miroku asked abruptly. "Do you need me?"

"Not right now, Miroku," Kaede said. "The barrier is still strong."

"Feh." Inuyasha snorted. "That coward would never dream of attacking directly. Subterfuge is more his style. And the wolves have been on the alert for anything out of the ordinary coming across the barrier."

"Probably," Miroku agreed. "It's just that I have a bad feeling. I'll feel better after I patrol the border myself. Would you like to come, Sango?"

Sango hesitated, looking at Kagome. Inuyasha snorted and climbed to his feet. "I'll go. Stay here and look after Kagome, Sango. Get her settled. Talk about girl stuff if you have to. I'll be back later." He strode out the door. Miroku cast a sympathetic glance at Kagome and followed.

Kagome scowled at the door. "How rude."

"Miroku?" Sango looked surprised. Then her expression cleared. "Oh. You mean Inuyasha. He's not bad. It just takes a while to get to know him."

"Like a lifetime," muttered Shippou.

"Sango is right, Kagome," Kaede said. "Inuyasha is a good soul. He just has a rough exterior. Try to get along. He will be your guardian for the duration of your stay." She turned her attention to some paperwork on her desk, clearly dismissing them.

"What?" Kagome protested. Sango gave her a quieting glare and pulled her out of the room. Shippou and Kirara scampered after them.

"I don't believe this," Kagome complained once they were clear of the office and walking down another hallway. "Inuyasha is the reason I'm stuck here. And he's supposed to be my guardian. I am not a little kid! I don't need some overprotective jerk following me around."

"That isn't what Kaede meant," Sango said. Kagome stopped ranting to look at her.

"It is Inuyasha's fault," Shippou said. He tilted his head to look up at the two girls while they walked. "That is one reason why Kaede wants him to be your guardian. But it's also to protect you."

"Protect me?" Kagome demanded. "Protect me from what?"

Just then they turned a corner into a large open space. It was like a large warehouse, if a warehouse could be the size of several football fields. And it was filled with people.

Benches and tables covered a large portion of the floor. One wall was taken up with what looked like roll after roll of brightly colored wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows. Neatly labeled boxes were stacked against another wall.

People moved among the tables, filling more boxes, putting the finishing touches on other projects, or just talking. They glanced curiously at them when they entered the room, but soon returned to their tasks. It was then that Kagome noticed something. Not all of the people were human.

"What are they?" Kagome asked. She stared as a man with cloven feet and goat horns growing from his forehead walked by carrying a large box. "Some of them aren't human."

"Kaede is an equal opportunity employer," Sango explained proudly. "Most of them are demons. Some are here for various reasons, but we all get jobs to do."

"Demons don't exist." Kagome looked nervously at a giant cockroach that scuttled by, dragging a wagon piled with more boxes.

Shippou surprised Kagome by jumping at her. She caught him automatically in her arms. "I'm a demon. Specifically, a kitsune, or fox demon. And Kirara's a demon."

Kagome shuddered. "Aren't demons supposed to be mean? I thought they ate people, not made Christmas presents."

"Do I look mean to you?" Shippou asked indignantly. "That's why we live here. Kaede understands us."

"I'm sorry, Shippou." Kagome hugged the small demon. "Is Inuyasha a demon? I noticed his, ah, ears."

Sango's expression became closed. "Inuyasha is a half demon."

"What is the other half?" Kagome asked.

"Sango!"

They looked up as someone hailed them. He wove his way among the various demons and humans towards them. Kagome noticed that his ears were pointed, which immediately placed him in the non-human category.

"I heard that the mutt screwed up last night," he said cheerfully. "I told Kaede that I would have been a better choice, but she had to choose dog breath." He sighed. "Oh, well. There will be other opportunities."

Kagome took the chance to study the newcomer while he talked to Sango. He looked to be at least as rough as Inuyasha, dressed in animal pelts and with a wild wolfish air about him. At least he seemed to be in a better mood than Inuyasha.

"And this must be Kagome." The wolf demon took her hands in his, dislodging Shippou who scrambled for her shoulder before he fell. "I am Kouga, leader of the wolf demon tribe. Or what's left of it. I can't believe dog breath has abandoned you already."

Kagome carefully freed her hands. "I haven't been abandoned. Sango and Shippou are showing me around. But thank you for being concerned."

Kouga smiled. "I'm sure you'll love it here, Kagome. It's been a long time since we've seen somebody as beautiful as you here." He ignored Sango's sound of disgust. "If there's anything you need, anything at all, just be sure to let me know."

"Don't you have work to do?" Sango asked pointedly. "I thought you were supposed to be patrolling the borders with your wolves."

Kouga shrugged. "Nothing's going to happen. The barrier is at full strength now that the holiday rush is over. There's nothing to worry about." He smiled winningly at Kagome. "And I heard that dog breath brought home a delectable little morsel. So, I came to see for myself."

Kagome "eep"ed and ducked behind Sango. "I thought you said these demons don't eat people," she hissed to the older girl. "This one thinks I'm a 'delectable little morsel.'" She smiled nervously at the puzzled wolf demon. "Why don't you find somebo—something else to eat? I wouldn't be a very satisfying meal. I'm just skin and bones. Really!"

Sango made a funny choking sound. It took a minute for Kagome to realize that she was trying not to laugh. "Kouga isn't going to eat you! He just talks that way. He's quite friendly once you get to know him."

"Oooh." Comprehension flooded Kouga's face. He reached around Sango and grabbed Kagome's hands. "Don't worry, beautiful Kagome, I never eat humans anymore. Too greasy and fatty. Besides, who would want to eat humans when the cooks here make the most wonderful meatloaf in the world?"

"Come on, Kouga!" Two more demons stood on the far side of the room, near one of the doors. A pack of wolves milled around them. "We need to get back to our patrol."

Kouga gave Kagome's hands a brief squeeze before releasing her. "Feel free to talk to me anytime if you start to get homesick. And don't let dog breath push you around. Later, Kagome." He sprinted for the door, narrowly avoiding collisions and other catastrophes.

"He seems nice, I guess," Kagome commented, watching him run away. At least he didn't seem interested in eating her.

"That's Kouga," Sango said. "You'll want to watch out for him, though. Especially around Inuyasha."

"Oh?"

"Kouga and Inuyasha are rivals," Shippou told her. "They've never gotten along, and they're always fighting over something. I think Kouga's jealous that Kaede chose Inuyasha to be her apprentice."

"He wouldn't hurt me, would he?"

"No. Just--just be careful," Sango said, worry in her brown eyes. "Okay?"

Kagome smiled as reassuringly as she could. "I'll be fine, Sango."

**

* * *

Food for Thought:** How many roads must a man travel down before he admits he is lost? 


	4. Dashing Through the Snow

_I caught myself a Christmas cold. No sneezing or stuffiness but the coughing is even more annoying. I think I should just go back to bed._

_Have a very joyous December 25 in whatever way you choose to celebrate it. Enjoy the chapter!_

HERE COMES SANTA CLAWS

Chapter 4: Dashing Through the Snow

Inuyasha stomped through the snow towards the edge of Kaede's barrier. It might have been faster to take one of the firecats, but he had never been one to shy away from a little exercise. Besides, the walk allowed him to work out the last bit of annoyance lingering in his blood.

_Stupid girl._ He scowled and kicked viciously at an innocent lump of snow. _Why do I have to be her guardian? It's not my fault. If she hadn't awakened, then we wouldn't have this little problem._

Miroku watched the emotions flicking across Inuyasha's face. He also could have taken a firecat, but saw this as a great opportunity to talk to the half demon about their newest guest.

"Thinking about Kagome?" he asked. He shifted the pack on his shoulders containing food and water for the next several days.

"Of course not!" Inuyasha said quickly. Too quickly. For someone used to second guessing his demon companion, Inuyasha was easy to read. The flash of guilt in his eyes told a lot.

"Well, I'm certainly thinking about her," Miroku said. "She's cute. I wonder if she's got a boyfriend."

Inuyasha grabbed Miroku by the collar of his robe and slammed him against the nearest tree. "Stay away from her," he growled. One clawed hand rested against the monk's throat. Clumps of snow showered them from the boughs above.

Miroku grinned despite the pressure on his windpipe. "Jealous already, Inuyasha? I didn't realize you two were that close."

Inuyasha backed off immediately, letting go of his friend. "Stupid, perverted monk! I just mean that she's my responsibility. Kaede would never let me hear the end of it if anything happened to her. I don't need you toying with her emotions when she won't be here forever."

Miroku just snickered. Inuyasha scowled and went back to ignoring him.

It was a beautiful December morning. The snow the night before had softened the landscape, making everything look bright and new. Any animal tracks had been covered, leaving them with the impression that they were the only two living creatures in the forest.

Inuyasha sniffed the air. His nose identified many scents that Miroku would never smell. There was a hare hiding in that clump of bushes to their right. And the air smelled heavy with the promise of more snow even though the sky was clear.

"We should have seen or scented them by now," Inuyasha griped, scanning the trees.

"Kouga knows what he's doing," Miroku reassured his friend. "He knows that the border patrol is important. He wouldn't just leave unless he had a reason."

Inuyasha snorted. "Like feeding his face. That wimpy wolf thinks with his stomach. He's probably back at the village."

"Where Kagome is." Miroku looked sideways at Inuyasha. "He'll know the whole story as soon as he sets foot in the village. And you know how charming he can be."

"That wolf!" Inuyasha growled. "He'll try to convince Kagome that he would be a better guardian! I shouldn't have left her alone!"

"Wait a minute!" Miroku grabbed Inuyasha's arm. "If Kouga and his wolves have returned to the village, then it's even more important that we inspect the border. Besides, I thought that you didn't want to be her guardian."

"I don't!" Inuyasha spluttered. "But that doesn't mean I want Kouga anywhere near her. He's still sore that Kaede chose me as her apprentice. He might do something to Kagome to hurt me."

"I thought you didn't care," Miroku said with a sly smile. "Besides, Sango and Shippou are with her. She'll be fine."

Inuyasha took several deep breaths. "I don't care about that annoying girl," he muttered. "I just don't want Kouga trying to lay claim to her. That's all. She'll be gone next year anyway. We shouldn't get attached."

"There's no need to make her feel unwelcome."

Inuyasha didn't answer. Kaede had assigned him to be the girl's guardian. And he had never yet failed to take on an assigned duty. This would not be the first time. No matter how much he detested playing babysitter.

He caught sight of a faint shimmer through the trees. They had reached the edge of the barrier. Now all they had to do was make sure it was whole and functioning properly.

The barrier was a creation of Kaede's to keep their little village safe from the outside world. It recognized and accepted all the inhabitants of Kaede's village. Any one of them could leave whenever he or she chose. Other people never saw the barrier. A subconscious suggestion built into it convinced them the forest was impenetrable and it would be better to go around.

Animals could also come and go as they pleased. For them, the barrier didn't exist.

The main reason for the barrier was to keep out the _others_.

Inuyasha's musing was cut short when Miroku slapped him on the shoulder.

"This is where we part company." He pointed with his staff. "I'll go that way and we'll meet in Kaede's village in about a week."

"Feh. Just do your job. If you see that wimpy wolf or any of his pack, tell him that I would like to talk to him when we get back to the village." Inuyasha started to turn away, hesitated, and looked back at the monk. "Be careful. If you run into any trouble, call for help."

"You worry too much," Miroku said cheerfully. "Someone might think you cared."

Inuyasha scowled. "Idiot."

Miroku was still laughing as he and Inuyasha walked away in opposite directions.

* * *

Inuyasha and Miroku's tracks were still fresh in the snow when a section of the barrier shuddered. The glow intensified for a moment, hesitated, then slowly faded back to normal. 

A small child stared solemnly at the barrier from the outside. She had a curiously colorless appearance. With her white hair, pale skin, and white dress, she could pass for a wisp of mist or a pallid snow wraith.

Calmly, she walked through the barrier as if it didn't exist. It pulsed uncertainly before deciding that the child must not be a threat.

She glanced incuriously at the footprints in the snow before pulling out a small round mirror that had been tucked into her jacket. For a moment, the mirror reflected only sky and trees. Then fog swirled across the glass. It cleared to reveal a man's face looking out.

"Have you passed the barrier, Kanna?" he demanded.

"Yes," Kanna responded in a flat, emotionless tone.

"Good." The man smiled in obvious satisfaction. "You know what to do. Don't contact me again unless there's trouble."

"Yes, Lord Naraku." Kanna slipped the mirror back into its hiding place. Without a backwards glance at the gently glowing barrier, she disappeared into the trees. Her small feet left no tracks in the snow and a few minutes later, it was as if she had never been there.

* * *

Kouga sneezed. 

"You all right, Kouga?" one of the two wolf demons with him asked.

"Someone's talking shit about me," Kouga growled. He rubbed his nose and sneezed again. "Probably that mutt and his friend. Nothing to worry about, Ginta."

"Inuyasha's probably mad," the second wolf demon said. "We're supposed to be patrolling the border. We shouldn't be here."

"I keep telling you, Hakkaku, don't worry about it." Kouga cuffed the demon alongside the head. "Inuyasha can go chase his tail. We need to eat, especially on meatloaf day. The border's not going anywhere, and besides, it's not like anything's going to happen in the next few hours."

"Meatloaf's good," Ginta agreed. "But maybe we should be getting back." Hakkaku nodded.

Kouga sighed. "Fine. We'll go. The sooner we finish our patrol, the sooner I can get to know the lovely Kagome better."

He flung open the door, letting in a blast of freezing air. Several people complained, shooting irritated looks at him. Kouga ignored them. The cold reminded him of his mountain homeland so long ago. He would never admit it to anyone, but he actually like doing border patrols. It gave him a chance to really stretch his legs and feel the icy wind whistling past his ears.

"She's nice." Ginta exchanged a look with Hakkaku. They hurried after their leader, followed by a small pack of wolves. "But maybe you should be careful. I heard that Inuyasha is her guardian."

Kouga snorted. "Then why did he leave her all by herself?" He stopped and took a deep breath. It smelled like snow. Already the cloudless blue of the sky was being obscured by fat clouds.

"Inuyasha is always jumpy right after Christmas," Hakkaku said. "It's dangerous every time the barrier is lowered, especially at this time of year."

"Yeah." Ginta nodded vigorously. "We really shouldn't have left our patrol today."

Kouga was getting tired of the two wolf demons constantly harping on the same subject. They were more than a little bit afraid of Inuyasha, remembering the age-old grudge between wolves and dogs. Inuyasha might be a half-breed, but he was also extremely powerful. Kouga wouldn't admit it out loud or even to himself, but Inuyasha was the one demon whose fighting skills he respected.

"Enough complaining!" Kouga scowled. Ginta and Hakkaku sure knew how to ruin a guy's afternoon. "Let's get going. And try to keep up."

Kouga launched into a run, reaching his top speed in seconds. The other two demons shielded their faces against the sudden blizzard of stinging snow. They then plowed after their leader, shouting for him to wait up.

_

* * *

Merry Christmas! _

**Food for Thought: **He who has no Christmas in his heart will never find Christmas under a tree


	5. The Friendly Beasts

_I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! I'm still fighting my cold, but I think it's getting better. Not sure how many chapters this story will have, but I know it's not close to being finished yet._

_Enjoy!_

HERE COMES SANTA CLAWS

Chapter 5: The Friendly Beasts

"When will Inuyasha get back?" Kagome picked at the food on her plate. It was very good, but she wasn't really hungry.

"Bored already, Kagome?" Sango looked concerned. She took her responsibilities very seriously. "I would think that Inuyasha would be the last person you would want to see."

"Maybe she misses Inuyasha for other reasons?" Shippou suggested slyly. He may look like a kid, but sometimes he didn't act like it.

Kagome blushed. "Of course I don't miss him," she spluttered. "It's just that everybody keeps telling me that he's my guardian, and then he goes and abandons me my first day here."

"The border patrol's important," Sango said. She stood up and gathered her plate and Kagome's. "They should be back in about a week."

"A week?" Kagome followed her new friend to the long counter that she supposed led into the kitchen. "Why so long?" And why is this barrier so important? Do you have a problem with strays or something?" Other people were placing their dirty dishes on the conveyor belt built into it. Within seconds, they disappeared through a flap cut into the wall.

"The barrier protects us," Sango replied. "It also keeps out the _others_." As if realizing that she might have said too much, she looked uneasy and glanced away. "Come on. I'll show you around."

Kagome trotted after Sango, determined to get some more answers when she had a chance. Sango was a good guide and Kagome was impressed in spite of herself. Kaede's house was huge. It was where all of the work was done for each Christmas. Even though the holiday season was now over, the helpers seemed to be just as busy.

"We can't make gifts out of nothing," Sango explained. "And Santa doesn't get paid, so we had to find other ways to get the materials needed."

"Why make the gifts?" Kagome asked. "Wouldn't it be easier just to buy them wholesale and then distribute them?"

Sango shook her head. "How would we explain millions of dolls and erector sets being shipped to the North Pole? Some of our people who chose to leave have managed to make it into positions where they can get us the materials. It causes a lot less stir. Grab a coat and a hat and I'll show you more."

She led Kagome outside. A blast of arctic wind buffeted them. Kagome shivered despite the heavy jacket she was wearing. Kaede's house may be huge, but it was comfortably warm. She wondered how Kaede managed that without huge heating bills. More magic probably.

"This is the best part, Kagome!" Shippou darted up to a small hut that looked almost exactly like the others. He tugged open the door, releasing the aroma of fresh-cut alfalfa and the dusty smell of animal feed.

Kagome followed the fox child into what turned out to be a barn. Just inside the door, a pair of shaggy donkeys peered at her. A flock of wooly sheep bleated in complaint at the black and white puppies tumbling around their feet. A corral on one side held several frisky colts and fillies. One on the other side contained bouncing calves and a small goat or two.

"How sweet!" Kagome bent over to pick up the tabby kitten that was rubbing against her foot. She scratched his ears and was rewarded with a stuttering purr. "Do you raise your own animals? Are they for the children to play with?" She looked at Shippou when she said this.

"Nah!" Shippou glared at the overly enthusiastic goat that tried to butt him with its head. "Do you know how many people ask for a kitten or a puppy? Some want ponies or ferrets or baby crocodiles. We keep the animals here until we find somebody who really deserves it."

The kitten in Kagome's arms slapped at the tassel hanging from the end of her hat. She untangled the kitten's claws and set him back on the ground. "Do you breed them here then? I don't see too many adult animals." The kitten scampered over to join the games of two other kittens.

Shippou shook his head and started to say something, but fell silent at a warning glare from Sango.

"We have farms outside," Sango said. "They take care of the details for us. There's something else I want to show you."

They didn't go outside as Kagome half expected. Instead, Sango led her to another room that had been hidden by bales of stacked hay. She didn't see how this room should exist. From the outside, the hut didn't look big enough to contain half of what was inside. It still surprised her, though she was starting to get used to it.

Sango gave a curious whistle as she walked in the door. A kitten came running, separating itself from a group of its fellows. It mewed happily and leaped into the girl's arms. Kagome smiled, watching the kitten flick its two tails.

_What? Two tails?_ Kagome stared at the happily purring kitten. It was a pale cream color with black ears, black paws, black rings near the tip of the tails, and a black diamond in the middle of its forehead. She couldn't be totally sure, but she thought this was the same one that had been with Kaede earlier.

"This is Kirara." Sango scratched the kitten behind the ears. "She's a firecat. One of several."

Kagome looked and, sure enough, all of the cats in the room sported two tails. They looked perfectly ordinary otherwise. "Do people ask for two-tailed cats for Christmas?"

"No, of course not." Sango beckoned Kagome to follow and led the way back outside, cradling the firecat in one arm. "Firecats are helpers as much as the rest of us. They were nearly wiped out centuries ago. Kaede welcomed them here and keeps them safe and protected." She stopped in the middle of a snow-covered street. "This is good."

Shippou jumped up on Kagome's shoulder, startling her again. "Watch this, Kagome! You'll love it!"

Kirara jumped out of Sango's arms. Sango backed away a few steps. "Okay, Kirara."

"What is she--? Oh!"

With a great whoosh of fire, Kirara grew to several times her former size. Flames licked around her paws. She now sported fangs, at least as long as Kagome's hand. The firecat yawned and sat down, tilting her head to regard Kagome quizzically.

Kagome was startled, but enough unusual things had happened to her in the past several hours, that she wasn't really frightened. "This is Kirara? She got big."

"Yep. Kirara and her kind fly us where we need to go," Shippou boasted. "Firecats are really fast, and they're good in a fight, too."

"Instead of reindeer..." Kagome mused. "Nothing else has been like it is in the stories. I shouldn't be surprised that you use flying demon cats instead of flying deer."

"Thanks, Kirara," Sango said as the firecat shrank to her smaller form. She turned to Kagome. "Why don't you come to my place for tea? I'm sure this is a lot to take in."

"That sounds wonderful."

They hadn't gone too far, when someone hailed them. Kagome turned to see a rather handsome boy running after them. The wind ruffled his unruly brown hair and flung snow at cheeks made pink by the cold. In one hand he was holding something, shielding it from the wind so that Kagome couldn't see what it was. He didn't seem to have pointed ears or a tail, but Kagome didn't automatically exclude him from being a demon.

"Do you need something, Hojo?" Sango asked the panting boy as he slid to a stop in front of them.

"That's Hojo," Shippou whispered in Kagome's ear. "He's human. Hasn't been here that long, either. Not too bright, but he has a talent with plants."

"Everything's fine, Sango," Hojo said when he had caught his breath enough to talk. "I heard that we had a visitor." He turned to Kagome with a dazzling smile. "Hi. I'm sorry that I couldn't greet you earlier. Had to fertilize the poinsettias in the greenhouse. I'm Hojo."

Kagome smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Hojo. My name's Kagome." She winced and could have smacked herself for that remark. How many visitors did these people see in a year? Of course he would know who she was.

Hojo didn't seem to take offense. His smile only widened. "Oh, this is for you. A kind of welcome to the village present." He held out a beautiful snow-white flower with just the faintest pink blush tinting the tips of the petals.

"It's beautiful." Kagome accepted the flower, examining it with interest. She had never seen anything like it before. "I love it."

"It's a snow rose," Hojo offered shyly. "They only grow in Kaede's village. I sort of created them." He glanced at the ground and then back at Kagome as if undecided about something. "Would you like to have tea or something?" he blurted and then blushed.

"Thank you, but I can't." She winced as the boy's hopeful look faded. "I'm having tea with Sango today. Maybe some other time."

He immediately brightened. "Sure. I'll see you later, Kagome. I know you're going to love it here!" With a cheerful wave, he hurried back the way he had come.

Sango giggled. "I think Hojo likes you. He doesn't give his precious snow roses to just anybody."

Kagome blushed. "He seems like a nice boy." A flake of white spiraled out of the sky and landed on the flower.

"It's starting to snow," Shippou observed. "We should get inside."

Sango led the way to another hut that also looked like all of the others. There didn't seem to be a lot of imagination in construction around here. She held open the door for her new friend. Already the snow was coming down thicker, and the wind was starting to blow harder.

"Looks like another blizzard," Sango said. Kagome looked concerned. Sango hastened to reassure her. "We get them all the time. Nothing to worry about. We're perfectly safe in the village."

Something occurred to Kagome. "What about outside the village? Inuyasha and Miroku are patrolling the border. What if they're caught in the blizzard?"

"Don't worry, Kagome." Shippou hopped off her shoulder. "They've been through blizzards before. They'll be fine."

Kagome didn't look convinced, but she didn't press it. She let Shippou lead her to the low table in the middle of the room while Sango got out the tea things. A lot of things about this place didn't make sense; not counting the demons that she never knew existed. There was a lot of security for an isolated village that made gifts for Christmas.

Sango poured a cup of tea and handed it to her. Kagome accepted with a smile and a quiet "thank you." Several minutes passed in silence while they savored their tea. Kirara lapped at a bowl of milk, her paws tucked neatly under her body.

Kagome set her cup down. "Can I ask you something, Sango?"

The older girl looked suddenly wary, but she nodded.

"I don't mean to be nosy. This is a great place, and you've all been so wonderful to me. I was just wondering how all of you came to be living here. Did you fill out job applications or something?"

Sango sipped her tea slowly, avoiding Kagome's eyes. Shippou stared into his cup as if it was the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen. They both looked extremely uncomfortable. Kagome felt her resolve waver and had to force herself to focus. If she wasn't stuck here, then these people owed her a few answers.

"Do you really want to know?" Sango poured herself another cup of tea, but didn't drink it. She just held the cup in her hands. Kagome nodded, and she sighed. "It's a long story..."

"Please, Sango," Kagome pleaded. "I think that I deserve to know what's really going on."

**

* * *

Food for Thought:** My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today I have finished a cheese pizza and two bags of chips. I feel better already. 


	6. A Christmas Story

_Hey there! Here's another chapter! Drop me a review and let me know if you're enjoying the story!_

_Till next time!_

HERE COMES SANTA CLAWS

Chapter 6: A Christmas Story

"Most of us are here because we have nowhere else to go." Sango stared into her tea instead of looking at Kagome. "Kaede's been here longer than I have. She's never said who was here before."

"I always thought that Santa Claus was a little old man in a red suit," Kagome said, "not an old woman, or a grumpy boy with dog ears on his head. Where do the legends come from?"

"The legends were in place even before I came here." Sango looked at Kagome gravely, with a wisdom far beyond her years.

Kagome looked at Shippou. "Why are you here?"

Sango and Shippou exchanged looks. This made Kagome mad. She was tired of people avoiding her questions. What was going on?

"Tell me!" Kagome demanded, clenching her fingers around her tea mug. "If this is some sort of conspiracy to kidnap children to work in your underground toy factory... My mama and grandfather won't rest until they find me! And if you try to take my little brother, then I'll make your lives miserable!"

"No!" Sango looked genuinely startled. "We don't kidnap children. You coming here was an accident! I swear!"

"We understand about family, Kagome." Shippou patted her knee. "It's just that most of us have really painful stories from our past that we'd rather not think about. You see, my parents were killed by two powerful demons."

"Oh!" Kagome's eyes glistened with sympathy.

"I was too small to do anything." Shippou looked down and clenched his fists. "But I was determined to avenge them. Luckily, Inuyasha found me before I got myself killed. He defeated the Thunder Brothers and let me come with him."

"Was that how you came here?" Kagome asked. She picked up the small demon and cuddled him on her lap. Shippou sniffed, wiping away a tear.

"Not right away," he admitted. "I hung around with Inuyasha for a while. He let me, probably because he knew I had nowhere else to go. But things just got worse. Demons, especially half demons are not wanted near human settlements. One day an old woman approached us. She said that she had been watching us and wanted to offer us a place to stay. That's how we came here."

Kagome had a feeling that Shippou was skimping on the details, but didn't press him. She could sense how difficult it had been to tell her that much. "I'm glad you're here," she whispered, "because I like you very much." Shippou blushed with pleasure.

"Shippou's story is close to what it was like for most of the demons that are here." Sango smiled at Kirara who had curled up next to her. "The firecat habitat was destroyed by humans. They were also hunted for their pelts. The wolf demons were almost entirely wiped out by a stronger demon. Everyone has their story."

"What about you?" Kagome regarded Sango curiously. She didn't want to push if the subject was painful, but she felt that these people owed her some explanations.

"I came from a village of demon exterminators." Sango looked at Kagome, her eyes full of pain. "While a group of us were out on a routine mission, our village was attacked and completely destroyed. There were no survivors."

Kagome raised a hand to her mouth. "That's awful."

Sango only nodded. "The worst was to come. The mission turned out to be a trap. We were tricked. My father, my friends—they were killed. And my little brother... he, too, is out of reach."

Kagome was silent for a long time, staring at a spot on the table. When she looked up, her eyes were dark with compassion. "I'm so sorry. But I'm glad you told me. How long have you been here?"

Sango and Shippou exchanged glances again. They didn't want to lie to their friend. She seemed to be adjusting well, but they weren't sure if she could handle all of the truth.

Kagome was getting impatient again. She had thought that they had stopped hiding things from her. There were some things they wouldn't say, and that was okay. But a direct question should not be ignored.

Kagome glared at Shippou, and the kid squirmed. "How long have _you_ been here?"

"800 years," Shippou mumbled. Kagome blinked, not sure if she had heard him correctly.

"It's true." Shippou looked at her, defiant. "I wouldn't lie to you."

"You don't look like you're 800 years old." Kagome stared at the kitsune as if she expected him to grow old and turn to dust before her eyes.

"It's this place," Sango hastened to explain. "Time stops inside the barrier. None of us have grown any older since we first came here."

"How old are you?" Kagome asked her suspiciously.

Sango looked uncomfortable. "I've been here for 500 years. I won't grow any older unless I go outside the barrier. That's true for any of us."

"But then why does Kaede need an apprentice? If time stops then she should be able to be Santa forever."

"That's the problem," Shippou admitted. "The one chosen to go outside the barrier is subject to time, but only in a limited manner. Kaede grew old eventually. The same will happen to Inuyasha. It just takes longer than normal. Inuyasha can deliver Christmas presents for several millennia yet."

Kagome looked stunned. "Are all of you hundreds of years old?"

"No." Shippou frowned thoughtfully. "I think Hojo has only been here for about fifty. And some of the baby animals only arrived last year."

"Even the animals don't age?"

"Only the special ones brought into the village to be Christmas presents," Shippou corrected. "I think Kaede did something so the other animals can live normal lives."

Something occurred to Kagome. "Does that mean that I'll still be only fifteen when I go home? School was bad enough this year! I don't want to repeat it!"

"It'll be okay." Sango tried to look confident, but Kagome could see that she was worried. "I'm sure Kaede has thought of that. She's very busy, but I'm sure we can talk to her." She reached across the table and took one of Kagome's hands in hers. "We want you to be happy here, Kagome. Everything will work out, you'll see."

Kagome smiled despite the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "I'm sure you're right. It's only a year. What could possibly go wrong?"

* * *

Souta curled up next to the Christmas tree, watching but not really listening to the news program on the television. He glanced to where the stockings were all hung in a row, filled with goodies that hadn't been touched. His eyes clouded when he saw the one labeled "Kagome." 

Grandpa sat on the floor, pretending to read the paper. From the other room, he could hear Mama saying a few more phrases before hanging up the phone. She walked into the room, looking as if she had aged ten years in only one night. Souta looked up expectantly.

"Well?" Grandpa asked. "Do they have any leads?"

Mama collapsed into a nearby chair with a sigh. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Nothing. There is no sign of forced entry. And the police won't do anything until she's been missing for at least forty-eight hours. They're treating this like another runaway child."

"Kagome would never run away." Souta stoutly defended his sister. He already missed his clever sister. She always had time for him and was always willing to share stories of the dad he didn't remember. But...

Souta bit his lip. Maybe Kagome was mad at him. She always got depressed on Christmas and he made her participate in the stupid rituals anyway. He unwound himself from his spot on the floor and went over to Mama.

"I'm sorry if I made Kagome run away, Mama." He tried not to cry. Kagome would scold him for bawling like a baby. Besides, Mama needed him to be strong.

"Souta!" Mama opened her eyes, looking shocked. She reached out and pulled her son into her lap. Souta sighed, feeling almost content. "This is not your fault. This is not anybody's fault. We will find Kagome, you have to believe that."

Grandpa shifted and looked uncomfortable. "There are the stories."

"What stories, Grandpa?"

"Well." Grandpa took his time folding the paper and stacking it on the table in front of him. "There are old legends of people disappearing, never to be seen again. It always happened on Christmas Eve, and there was never sign of a struggle or anything."

Souta wrinkled his nose. "I don't know, Grandpa. People are always disappearing. How could Christmas have anything to do with it?"

"I don't remember all of the details," Grandpa said. "But all of the stories agree that the people who disappeared had hit rock bottom and had nowhere else to go."

"That's not Kagome!" Mama pushed Souta off of her lap and stood up. "She has a family who loves her. Now, I don't want you filling Souta's head with any more of these tales. I'm going into the kitchen to cook breakfast." She turned and left, twisting her hands nervously in her apron.

"Do you think that's true, Grandpa?" Souta crept closer, his eyes beginning to brighten with hope. "Could that have happened to Kagome? When she explains that it was all a misunderstanding, then she'll come home, right? And we'll have Christmas and she won't be mad at me?"

"Kagome's not mad at you, Souta," Grandpa reassured him. "I have a feeling that she's safe, and she'll return to us as soon as she can. She wouldn't want you to worry, you know." Grandpa clapped his hands together and tried to look cheerful. "Why don't you open a present? That'll make you feel better."

"No thanks, Grandpa. It's not Christmas without Kagome. I'll wait until she comes back." Souta wandered over to sit next to the Christmas tree again, barely glancing at the stacks of unopened gifts. Instead, he fixed his eyes on Kagome's stocking. On impulse, he closed his eyes and made a wish. _I wish I knew if Kagome was safe and happy. And I want a sign saying that she'll come back to us. Please come back to us, sis. I miss you._

"Breakfast is ready!"

Souta sighed and went into the eating area. He wasn't hungry, but he obediently tried to eat. The eggs tasted like sawdust and the orange juice had no flavor at all. After a while, he was reduced to just pushing the food around on his plate.

Mama kept glancing at the phone, as if willing it to ring and deliver news of Kagome. Grandpa chewed and swallowed, but you could tell he wasn't really tasting the food. The only one who cleaned his plate was Buyo. The fat cat gobbled down every crumb and nosed his bowl, looking for more.

_Ping!_

Souta looked around. He could have sworn he heard something. Sounded like the tinkling of a bell.

"Did you hear that, Mama?"

"Hear what, dear?"

_Ping!_

Souta jumped up from his chair. "There it is again! I know I hear something that time!" He abandoned his unfinished breakfast and raced into the other room.

"Souta!" Mama called after him. "Souta, what are you doing? Come back here and take your dishes to the sink." When he didn't respond, she frowned and followed him to the other room. Grandpa shrugged and trailed after her.

"What are you doing?" Mama demanded. Souta was busily searching the Christmas tree for... something.

"I heard something, Mama," Souta replied, without stopping his search. "And when I came in here, something was glowing on the tree. Help me find it!"

Mama and Grandpa looked mystified, but joined Souta in pawing through the branches of the tree.

_Needs water,_ Mama thought as dry needles fell with each sweep of her hand. After several minutes, she was getting frustrated. It was one thing to humor her son upon the disappearance of his sister, but this was going too far. She was ready to call a halt to the whole thing. Maybe Souta should see a psychiatrist.

"What's this?" Grandpa stopped pushing branches around to pull out something wedged close to the trunk of the tree. It was a piece of paper rolled up in a tight scroll and tied with a piece of red ribbon.

"That must be it!" Souta grabbed the scroll. He started to unroll it, but paused, noticing something written on it. He handed it to his mother. "It's addressed to you, Mama."

Mystified, Mama accepted the scroll. "Mrs. Higurashi" was indeed written on it. She removed the ribbon and unrolled it, quickly scanning the contents. "Oh my!"

"What does it say, Mama?"

Mama just shook her head and handed the paper to Grandpa. He cleared his throat and squinted at the words.

_Dear Mrs. Higurashi,_

_You don't know me, but I am a friend. I am writing to let you know that your daughter, Kagome, is safe. There was a slight mix-up on Christmas Eve and she will be staying with us for a while. She is perfectly safe, and will be well taken care of._

_I know that you have no reason to trust me, but believe me when I say that we mean no harm to your daughter. She is a wonderful child and is adjusting to the change well. Kagome has tremendous gifts and I will be taking the opportunity to train her in their use. This is for her own protection as well as yours._

_Do not worry too much. Your son, Souta, and your father need you to be strong. And your husband would not want you to be sad. He was once under my guardianship and spoke of you often after he had left to make his own way in the world. He is still missed very much. Just know that his sacrifice all those years ago was to keep all of us safe._

_Look for Kagome to return to you in one year's time. Already she has made friends who will watch over her. I promise you that I will protect and guide her to the best of my ability._

_Best wishes,_

_Kaede (aka Santa Claus)_

"Mama? Is Kagome at the North Pole with Santa Claus?"

**Food for Thought:** A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.


	7. Under the Mistletoe

HERE COMES SANTA CLAWS

Chapter 7: Under the Mistletoe

"Gotcha, Kagome!"

Kagome shrieked as little Mayu pelted her with a snowball. All of the children took that as their cue to gang up on her. They giggled as they scooped up handfuls of snow.

"Not fair!" Kagome gasped as she tried to shield herself. She spotted Sango coming out of another building, followed by Kirara. "Sango! Help me!"

Sango willingly came over to help her friend. She grabbed Satoru and stuffed a handful of snow down his shirt while he wiggled and pleaded for mercy. Kirara looked with distaste at the cold snow the children were rolling around in and walked over to a spot on the sidelines where she could watch without getting snow in her fur. She sat down next to Kuroro, another of the resident firecats. The two began to groom each other, ignoring the wild snow fight.

"I'll help you, Kagome!" Shippou pounced on Souten, bowling the girl over. Kouryuu, a small red dragon, hurried over to help the girl and got a face full of snow for his trouble. Souten laughed and easily threw the lighter fox demon into a snow bank.

Kagome finally worked her way free of the melee. She stood, panting, watching the happy scene. Koume, a cute human girl, joined Mayu in throwing snowballs at the boys.

It looked like something out of a hallmark commercial until you noticed that not all of the children were human. At least half of them were demon. They were also far older than Kagome, even though they didn't look or act like it. Kaede had rescued each and every one of them from situations similar to Shippou's.

Mayu and her brother, Satoru, had been orphaned in a terrible fire. Nobody wanted them and they had been very close to becoming street children when Kaede found them and took them home with her.

Souten was the younger sister of the two Thunder Brothers defeated by Inuyasha. She and her friend, Kouryuu, had tried to exact vengeance for her brothers' deaths. Inuyasha hadn't actually killed the brothers, but Souten had blamed him anyway. For years, she clung to the belief that they had foolishly gotten themselves killed by a lesser demon because the defeat had weakened them. After meeting Shippou and a few of the other children, she gave up vengeance in favor of having regular meals and a roof over her head.

Now, they laughed and played like normal children, except none of them would ever grow up unless they wanted to. Most of them would eventually decide to leave and make their own lives out in the world.

Kagome had been shocked to learn that some of the people she had passed on the street every day were demons. Kaede equipped them with concealment spells and nobody ever noticed a thing.

Almost a week had passed since Kagome arrived at the North Pole. Everybody was very friendly and accepting. She had found firm friends in Sango and Shippou. Sango especially was easy to talk to when Kagome was suffering from bouts of homesickness.

Hojo kept presenting her with flowers grown in his greenhouse and inviting her to tea or walks around the village. She found his attentions flattering, but was reluctant to encourage him when she would be gone in a year.

Every day, for about an hour, Kaede called her into her office to talk. They talked about the strangest things, mostly about Kagome's childhood and her dim memories of her father. Kaede always ended the talks by having Kagome stare into a large round marble thing. She wouldn't explain the reason, but she seemed more pleased each day.

"Look! Inuyasha's back!"

Kagome was distracted out of her musing by the cheerful shout. She looked around to see all of the children swarming a familiar figure in red. Miroku was with him, too.

_Now's the time to give that jerk a piece of my mind!_ Kagome walked toward them. _He has the nerve to practically kidnap me and dump me in this frozen village. And then he disappears for a week._ Shippou and Sango had half-heartedly tried to defend their friend, but Kagome could tell they didn't really believe what they were saying.

"Oi!" Inuyasha scowled at the group of happy children. "Watch it! Do you want to get stepped on?"

"Did you bring us anything, Inuyasha?" Mayu tugged on Inuyasha's arm.

"I want a present, Inuyasha!" Bunza jumped up and down. "We've been good!"

"I've been tramping in the snow for a week," Inuyasha snapped, gently prying Mayu's fingers off his sleeve, "not shopping at the mall."

"Awwww!"

Inuyasha sighed and covered his face with his hand. Now they were all staring at him with those big dewy eyes. He peeked out from between his fingers. Yep, now the lower lips were starting to tremble.

"You know what they want." Miroku grinned and slapped Inuyasha on the shoulder. "After all, you're Santa Claus. Wouldn't want to disappoint the kiddies, would you?"

"All right, all right," Inuyasha grumbled. He reached into his jacket and pulled out his bag of magic dust. At this time of year, the magic wasn't very powerful, but there was enough for a few tricks to keep the kids happy.

"Yay!" Satoru clapped his hands while Kouryuu tried to squeeze past the bigger kids to get a little closer.

Kagome reached the outer edge of the group, but Inuyasha hadn't noticed her yet. His entire attention was focused on the children. Sango joined her and lightly touched Kagome's arm.

"I know you're still angry, Kagome," Sango whispered. "But just watch for a little bit. You'll see that Inuyasha isn't really a bad guy."

Kagome grumbled and scowled. At Sango's pleading look, she gave a nod of her head. She wouldn't pick a fight in front of the children. They did seem genuinely pleased to see him. Though that could just have been because of the presents he was now producing.

"Let's see what we have here." Inuyasha reached into his magic bag and pulled out a bright red ball. "Here you go, Mayu."

"Thanks, Inuyasha." Mayu grinned. "This is perfect. My old one went all flat."

"Souten!" Inuyasha barked, fixing the small demon child with a glare. "Stop pulling on Kouryuu's tail, or I won't give you these brand new crayons." Souten immediately put her hands behind her back, looking innocent."

"Sorry, Inuyasha. I'll be good." She took her gift and ran off with Koume, and Koume's new yo-yo, to play.

Inuyasha handed out gifts, keeping one ear trained on Kagome. He had spotted her the minute he stepped into the village, but had decided not to make his presence known right away. Once she saw him and he got a look at the expression on her face, he was just as glad. Sango usually looked like that just before she clobbered Miroku.

"Sango, my sweet!" Miroku grinned at Sango over the tops of the children's heads. "Did you miss me?"

"I wouldn't so much if you'd stop ducking," Sango muttered. Shippou giggled. Kagome shot her friend a curious look.

"Have you been good?" Miroku asked, and then he smirked. "Though I'd prefer it if you were naughty."

Sango rolled her eyes. "Pervert."

"Look what I found." He pulled a green plant from inside his robe. "Only had to scale a ten-foot tree to get it." Skirting the last of the children, he stopped in front of Sango and held the plant over her head. "You know the tradition. How about my kiss?"

Sango wrinkled her nose. Then she grinned. "All right, close your eyes."

Miroku's face lit up. "I knew you couldn't say 'no' to me forever." Obediently he closed his eyes.

Sango knelt down and whispered something to Shippou. The little fox demon grinned and jumped into her arms.

"Are your eyes closed?" Sango asked, standing up. Miroku nodded vigorously. "Here's your kiss!"

"Miroku!" Shippou jumped at the monk, wrapping his small arms around Miroku's neck and planting a wet kiss on his face.

"Aaaagh!" Miroku jumped. His left foot slipped on a patch of icy snow. Down they went in a heap.

The mistletoe flew from the monk's hand. Kagome gasped, concerned that Miroku might really have hurt himself. Inuyasha snorted and crossed his arms. Kagome turned to glare at him, incensed. Didn't he care about his friend?

Miroku groaned and lifted his head enough to look at the smug fox sitting on his chest. "Shippou. That wasn't what I had in mind."

Shippou smirked and scampered off of the prone monk. "You wanted a kiss."

"Oooh." Miroku moaned and tried to push himself into a sitting position. After a moment, he flopped back down into the snow. "I think I twisted my ankle. Help me up, Sango dear?" From where she was standing, Kagome saw a brief grin flash across the monk's face.

"I'm not falling for that one. Get up." Sango refused to move, but she looked a lot less certain when Miroku groaned again. Cautiously, she stepped closer. "Miroku?"

"Gotcha!" Sango shrieked as Miroku grabbed her ankle. Instinctively she lashed out with the other foot, connecting solidly with Miroku's ribs.

"Oof." Miroku doubled over in unfeigned pain while Sango glared at him from a safe distance.

"Serves you right, pervert," Inuyasha grumbled. Kagome just stared. "Just ignore them, Kagome. They're always squabbling like kids." He stretched and started for Kaede's. "I'm beat. Try not to seriously maim him, Sango. We need him for border patrols if nothing else."

Kagome snapped out of her shock as Inuyasha brushed past her. She grabbed a fistful of his white hair, jerking him to a stop. "Just a minute, dog boy!"

"Dog boy?" A growl rumbled in Inuyasha's throat and his ears flattened. He turned to face Kagome, forcing her to release his hair. She returned his glare, much to his surprise, without even flinching.

"We need to talk!" Kagome put her hands on her hips. "What did you think you were doing, abandoning me here?"

"Abandoning?"

"Yes!" Kagome raised one hand to poke Inuyasha in the chest. "You kidnapped me from my nice, safe room. You bring me to this place, without my consent, and then tell me that I can't go home for an entire year!" She stepped closer and poked Inuyasha again. "Everybody tells me that you are responsible for me! Some guardian you are! You ran off at the first opportunity. And now you're not even going to talk to me! I deserve to know what's going on! How the hell did you end up as Santa Claus? You have to be the most arrogant, insufferable, selfish person I have ever met!"

Inuyasha's growling had grown steadily louder while Kagome chewed him out. Miraculously, the street, which had been so busy a moment ago, was now deserted. The only ones present were Miroku, Sango, Shippou, and Kirara. They swiveled their heads from Kagome to Inuyasha and back again.

"I did not kidnap you!" Inuyasha shouted. Kagome snorted. He glared at her. "Well, technically maybe I did. But if you had stayed asleep like you were supposed to, then this wouldn't have happened. Nobody is supposed to be awake when Santa comes. Don't you know anything? And I did not abandon you! I am a very busy demon. I have things to do that do not include babysitting a spoiled human brat!"

"Spoiled human brat?" Kagome drew breath to continue the argument, but Inuyasha cut her off.

"For your information," Inuyasha ground out between clenched teeth. "The barrier is for your protection as much as ours. Your worst nightmares wouldn't come close to describing what would happen if the barrier fails. We don't just laze around her playing silly games all year, little girl."

Sango winced as Kagome went white with rage. "Speaking of the barrier," Sango whispered to Miroku. "Did you meet up with Kouga and his wolves? They left here after eating lunch."

"Yeah," Miroku replied. "And Inuyasha was not happy. He told Kouga to patrol the border again. The next patrol won't have to go out until they get back. It will probably be a week, but might be only two or three days if Kouga uses his speed."

Shippou climbed up Miroku's robe to sit on his shoulder. "Hey. Did you see what's in Inuyasha's hair?" Miroku chuckled and Sango peered more closely at Inuyasha to see what was so funny.

"Oh, my!" She covered her mouth with one hand.

"Do you think we should tell him?" Miroku grinned and received a light slap on the arm from Sango.

"You are a jerk, Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted, nearly standing on tiptoe so that she could yell in his face.

Inuyasha snarled at her. "Spoiled brat!"

"When did they reduce themselves to name calling?" Shippou asked.

"He must really like her," Miroku mused. Sango shot him a skeptical glance.

"What makes you say that?"

"Normally, when Inuyasha is losing an argument, he just walks away. I haven't seen him yell at anybody this long without resorting to violence since _her_."

Sango cleared her throat. "He looks like he's about two seconds away from doing something he'll regret."

"True. Maybe it's time to distract him." Miroku raised his voice. "I hate to interrupt your quality time, Inuyasha, but there's something caught in your hair."

"Not now, Miroku!" Inuyasha snapped. "This isn't time for your games."

"I'm going to tell you anyway," Miroku said cheerfully. "It's a green parasitic plant with a very enjoyable tradition. And you're already standing pretty close to Kagome. Maybe you should take advantage of it."

"What?" Inuyasha twitched his ears, distracted from the argument. Involuntarily, Kagome looked at Inuyasha's hair. There, nestled among the white strands, was the sprig of mistletoe.

Inuyasha raised a hand to his head and felt around. He pulled the plant out of his hair and stared at it in confusion. Kagome looked at the plant and then glanced at Inuyasha's face. He met her eyes at the same time. They both blushed slightly and looked away.

"You know the tradition, don't you, Kagome?" Shippou asked innocently. Being that he was hundreds of years old, he wasn't nearly as innocent of certain things as his size might suggest. "Kiss him!"

**

* * *

Food for Thought: **

Last year I made a list of things

That I resolved to do;

I'll use that list again this year,

It's still as good as new!


	8. Go Where I Send Thee

_This is the last of the already written chapters. So I don't know when the next one will be ready. Maybe I'll do some work on All of Me. Well, I'll try to get something out before the end of the month. Hopefully sooner._

_Enjoy the chapter!_

HERE COMES SANTA CLAWS

Chapter 8: Go Where I Send Thee

Kagome refused to look at Inuyasha. Sure, she knew the tradition as well as anybody with a history-obsessed fanatic for a grandfather. Still, that didn't mean that she would have to… kiss him.

She finally snuck a look at Inuyasha. The mistletoe was still entangled in his hair, but he was ignoring it in favor of glaring at the monk and the kitsune child. They both seemed to find the situation unbearably funny. Miroku broke into laughter every time he looked at either one of them, while Shippou just rolled around in the snow.

Unconsciously, Kagome found herself studying the boy's face. If you erased the habitual scowl from his face, he was almost cute. Her gaze drifted to his lips.

"Will you two grow up?" Inuyasha growled. He glowered fiercely at Miroku. "That stunt's becoming less funny every time you do it, Miroku. One of these days, Sango is going to clobber you so hard that not even your hard head will save you."

Kagome jerked and immediately looked down at the snow. A blush heated her cheeks. What was she thinking? Okay, maybe Inuyasha was cute. Maybe. But no way was he anywhere close to being kissable.

"Are you okay, Kagome?" Sango asked in concern.

Kagome looked up into Sango's brown eyes. She smiled wanly. "I'm fine, Sango. Maybe a little tired is all. Those kids have a lot of energy and that snowball fight kind of wore me out." There. That should reassure Sango that she didn't take the teasing seriously. She resisted looking at Inuyasha, afraid that she would blush again if she did.

"Come on, Kagome." Sango took her arm. "I'll take you back to Kaede's. A nap will do you good."

* * *

"Where are they going?" Inuyasha growled suspiciously. He stared hard after the two girls. "Is something wrong with Kagome?" 

"Nothing's wrong." Shippou stopped giggling and climbed onto Inuyasha's shoulder. "It's just that a lot has changed for her recently. And things have been kind of busy. There was the snowball fight today, and Kaede keeps having those talks with her. The kind that leave her drained." He stuck his small hands into Inuyasha's hair and began working the mistletoe loose. "Though Hojo has been very helpful. He keeps bringing the sweetest gifts, mostly to help her relax and feel at home."

"What did you say?" Inuyasha grunted as Shippou pulled a little too hard on his hair.

"Kaede's training her." Shippou smiled in triumph and held up the mistletoe, wrapped with strands of white hair. "But I don't think she knows that it's training."

"Not that." Inuyasha rubbed the tender area on his scalp, though already the brief pain was fading. "The thing about Hojo."

"Oh." Shippou thought carefully about his answer. How to nudge Inuyasha's protective instincts into something a little more intimate without scaring him away. He hadn't seen his friend this concerned about anybody in centuries. And, as Inuyasha's first friend, it was his job to look out for the stubborn dog demon.

"Hojo's sweet on Kagome," Shippou said in his best child voice. He pretended not to notice the slight frown that flickered across Inuyasha's face. "He brings her gifts and asks her on walks around the village."

"That Hojo's a nice kid," Miroku said suddenly. "A little too naïve for my tastes, but maybe that's what Kagome wants."

Shippou made frantic motions at Miroku to shut up. He didn't want Hojo to get hurt or find himself being threatened by an overprotective dog demon. He also didn't want Inuyasha to give up before he got a chance to know Kagome.

"Hojo?" Inuyasha mused. "Isn't he that scrawny kid with the meek voice? The one with a knack for growing flowers?"

"That's the one," Miroku said cheerfully, ignoring the agitated kitsune.

"Hojo's sweet on her," Shippou repeated. "But Kagome returns his gifts and declines the walks." He risked a glance at Inuyasha's face. His profile was all Shippou could see from his current position, but he thought that Inuyasha looked thoughtful instead of angry.

Shippou jumped down from Inuyasha's shoulder. It was time to change the subject and give his friend time to think about what he said. The snow was well-trampled from the earlier activity, with a half-completed snowman here and a pile of forgotten snowballs there. He sniffed the air. More snow was on the way. It didn't have the feel of a blizzard, but his sense of smell was nowhere near as keen as Inuyasha's.

Shippou was trying to think of something else to talk about when a breeze whispered over the snowy ground. Miroku shivered. "Is anybody else cold?" He blew on his hands and tucked them under his armpits, holding his staff clamped between his arm and his body.

"Keh." Inuyasha snorted. "Weak humans." Without another word, he turned and strode towards Kaede's. "Are you coming or not?" he called over his shoulder. "I am not coming back out here if you decide to turn yourself into a popsicle."

Shippou grinned to himself in satisfaction. Inuyasha had his own hut among those scattered around the village. He only stayed at Kaede's during the busy Christmas season or if he was too tired to make it back to his own. Kaede's was where Kagome was staying. Maybe Inuyasha wasn't so dense after all.

"Wait up!" Shippou scampered after his friend. Miroku followed, still shivering slightly. Neither one saw the slightly knowing grin that flickered briefly across the monk's face.

* * *

A nearly full moon rose over the sleeping village, gilding the snow with bluish shadows. The promised snow had fallen, but it was only a dusting and had quickly stopped. 

Not a light was burning in any of the huts, even the most industrious having given into fatigue hours ago. The moon shone through the windows, illuminating the sleeping humans and demons.

Kagome lay curled up in her bed, eyes flickering behind closed lids as she dreamed. Her brow wrinkled and she squirmed restlessly as a dark shadow briefly blotted out the moon.

Even Inuyasha slept. For reasons known only to him, he had abandoned the bed in favor of leaning against the wall. His right ear twitched and a frown crossed his face. A moment later, he sighed, settling himself a little more firmly against the wall.

The moon dimmed again, though there were no clouds, and a solitary figure wandered into the village. She was almost impossible to see, looking like only another shadow on the snow.

Kanna didn't stop until she reached Kaede's large hut. She regarded it impassively, looking neither impressed nor bored. In front of her, she held a small mirror. The mirror cast its own light, looking like a smaller version of the moon.

It would be easy to do what she came to do. The village itself had very few magical protections, and most of those were to guard the sacred jewel. Kaede and her people had depended on the barrier for a very long time. They felt safe, expecting noisy attacks and overlooking the quiet ones.

"It is not time," Kanna whispered in her flat voice. "I will wait until the fullness of the moon is complete. My master will soon gain ascendancy in his centuries-long struggle."

With soft noiseless steps, Kanna turned away from Kaede's and went in search of a place to wait. She had no fear of discovery; in fact, she had no fear at all.

Every person, human or demon, had his or her own desires or wishes. It was what made people unique. Kaede and every Santa before her had learned how to read those wishes. If the naughty desires outweighed the nice wishes by a considerable amount, then the person went on the naughty list and was no longer Kaede's concern

Kanna was a child-like demon with no desires or wishes of her own. It made her practically invisible to Kaede's brand of magic. She didn't remember her early life before _he_ found her. As far as she knew, the moment he brought her into his domain was when her life started.

There was a thick tangle of brambles on the far side of the village. Kanna wormed her way into the center, barely noticing when the sharp thorns snagged her flesh. She sat on the ground, prepared to wait until the time was right.

It was cold, and there was no food. None of this bothered Kanna. She didn't feel the cold. She didn't feel the hunger. The small demon existed in a place of nothing. _He_ was the only one to ever inspire something like loyalty in her.

Kanna fixed her uninterested gaze on the mirror in her hands and waited for the right time.

* * *

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked. "You've been jumpy ever since we returned from border patrol two days ago." 

"I don't know." Inuyasha shrugged, irritated. "I've just got a feeling."

"A feeling you say?

Inuyasha and Miroku turned to see Kaede approaching them. She leaned heavily on the walking stick Miroku had carved for her. If she slipped on the ice, it would be all too easy for her to break a leg or an arm.

"What are you doing out here, old woman?" Inuyasha demanded irritably. "The paths haven't been cleared yet. If you fall, I'm not carrying you back inside."

"It's nice to know ye care," Kaede replied with a slight smile. The brief glimpse of humor faded. The eyes she turned on Inuyasha and Miroku were worried. "I have been having these feelings, as well. Something will happen."

"'Something will happen.'" Miroku scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "I wish you people would be a little more specific with your 'feelings.' That hurricane in the states would have been a little less catastrophic if we could have warned our people in time."

"Has anybody else seen or heard anything unusual?" Inuyasha asked. His ears twitched and he tapped a claw against his thigh. He scowled when he realized what he was doing and crossed his arms inside his sleeves to hide his fidgeting.

Kaede frowned. "Was there anything wrong with the border?"

"No. I didn't encounter anything unusual. Did you, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha growled. "No. Kouga might know something, though. It was his patrol that we were doing." A soft step in the snow made him look around quickly. "What do you want, Hitomi?" he snapped at one of the two girls standing nearby.

Hitomi shrank a little under his harsh voice. The young human girl whispered something to her companion, Shiori, and nudged her. Shiori looked at her feet and shook her head.

Miroku sighed. Sometimes he wondered what had made Kaede choose Inuyasha as her apprentice. The rude dog demon seriously lacked manners. "Can we help you, Hitomi?" he asked gently.

"Well?" Inuyasha barked when the girl hesitated a trifle too long.

"It's about Kagome," Shiori blurted.

"What about Kagome? Is she hurt? Does she need something?" Inuyasha advanced on the little girls. Miroku grabbed his arm. Shiori, half bat demon and half human, was very sensitive and any harsh voice made her retreat. Hitomi was painfully shy and found it difficult to talk to anyone outside of a few friends.

Hitomi turned bright red and muttered something in the direction of her feet. Shiori looked like she had used up all of her courage and was now wishing that she were anywhere else.

Kaede leveled a harsh glare at Inuyasha when he opened his mouth. Surprisingly, he shut it again and walked a few paces away from the girls.

After a long silence, Hitomi finally looked up at Kaede. "Does Kagome really have to leave in a year?"

Kaede's eyebrow over her good eye rose. "That is the bargain. Why do you ask?"

"We like Kagome," Shiori said in her soft voice. "Can't she stay?"

"Kagome is not an orphan." Kaede chose her words with care. "Neither is she in grave danger where she's at. Unless she chooses to remain here of her own free will, we will return her to her home next Christmas."

"Oh." Shiori didn't bother to hide her disappointment. "It's just that we know she has been training. And we thought, if she was special like us, maybe she would stay here."

Inuyasha listened to the conversation. Why would anybody want that annoying girl to stay? He was her guardian, and had told her that many times. Still, she insisted on arguing with him constantly. She frustrated him to the point of wanting to bite something.

"I'm sorry." Kaede shook her head sadly. "I can't break my word. Kagome is lucky to have you two as friends. I'm sure she will leave here with many happy memories."

The two girls walked away. "Bye, Inuyasha," Hitomi said and immediately blushed. Surprised, Inuyasha twitched an ear and half raised his hand to wave.

"You can't be so rough with those girls, Inuyasha," Kaede scolded. "Shiori's demon grandfather tried to use her to destroy her human mother's village. She's had enough of being yelled at. You should try to be nicer to her."

Inuyasha grunted. That was the closest he would get to apologizing. Though, the next time he saw Shiori or Hitomi he would remember to be gentler.

**

* * *

Food for Thought:** Flattery is the art of telling another person exactly what he thinks of himself. 


	9. He Sees You When You're Sleeping

_Those who read my profile know that I had some RL issues come up in the past couple of months. My dog died suddenly and unexpectedly from a cancerous growth on his heart in February. That killed my muse for a while. Then I was working on my MG novel. Then I was just lazy._

_But here's another chapter! I hope it was worth the wait! Enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

HERE COMES SANTA CLAWS

Chapter 9: He Sees You When You're Sleeping

Kagome stepped outside and wrinkled her nose. It was another typical day at the roof of the world—freezing and monochromatic. Fat gray clouds loomed over the white landscape, little puffs of wind kicking up ice crystals as it blew across the snow.

Despite everything she had always thought was true about the North Pole during the winter months, it was not the dark of night here. Somehow, Kaede had enchanted her barrier to create regular periods of daylight and darkness for everything contained within the magical shield. She wouldn't explain how it worked, only to say that people were happier if it was bright while they were awake and dark while they slept. Now, if only she would do something about the endless snow.

Kagome scowled at the winter wonderland. "I wish it would rain or something."

"That would be a headache," a sarcastic voice drawled. Kagome turned to see Inuyasha strolling towards her along the churned up snow that seemed to indicate the only road in the village. "People slipping and breaking bones on the frozen snow, roofs caving in from the weight of the ice—Yep, that's just what we need."

Kagome glared at the irritating dog demon. "I just meant that I'm tired of all the snow. I want variety. I want seasons, like we have back home."

Inuyasha stopped beside her. "We have seasons." He tucked his hands into his sleeves. "Winter just happens to be the longest one."

Kagome drew breath for a sharp retort, and then let it out. Another pointless fight with Mr. Annoying wasn't worth it. She'd just yell until her head hurt and spend the rest of the day in a rotten mood. Better just to ignore him.

Resolutely, she studied a clump of bushes growing on one side of the house. After a few minutes, she snuck a glance out of the corner of her eye. Damn, he was still there.

"What are you doing?" She gave up all pretense of looking at the scraggly bush and turned to face him.

He smirked. "Standing."

Kagome clenched her fists and muttered under her breath. "Can't you go stand somewhere else?" she asked.

"Why?" His cute little ears flicked. There was an amused glint in his eye. "I can stand anywhere I want. Besides, I live here. You're just the temporary guest, little girl."

Kagome opened her mouth and then shut it. _He will not make me lose control. I won't fight with him today._

"Fine," she huffed and crossed her arms. "I don't care. Stand where you want."

They stood in silence for several minutes, watching the occasional villager passing on the street.

"How did you become Santa Claus?" Kagome asked abruptly. She glanced at him before looking away. "You have the red suit and the white hair, but not the storybook personality. I always thought Santa was a jolly fat guy with a workshop full of elves and eight tiny reindeer."

Since Kagome was looking in another direction, she didn't see the brief flash of unease and guilt that crossed his face. "What's wrong with me being Santa?" Inuyasha growled. "Do you find it easier to believe that the old woman used to do the job?"

"Wrong?" Kagome turned to stare at him. "There's nothing wrong! I just asked a simple question!" What was his problem? She was just curious. It wasn't that big a deal if he wanted to answer or not.

"Are you always this nosy, or am I just the lucky one you decided to analyze today," Inuyasha snapped. "Stay out of my private life, little girl."

"I am not nosy!" All of Kagome's promises to herself to avoid a fight were forgotten. She narrowed her eyes. "You don't have to be so rude!"

"I'm not the one prying into people's personal lives," he shot back. "I'm not baring my soul to the little girl who slept with a nightlight until she was twelve!"

"How did you… " Kagome gaped at him.

Inuyasha smirked. "I'm Santa Claus, remember? Don't you know: 'He sees you when you're sleeping'?"

"You peeped on me?" Kagome's pale face went instantly red and blotchy with anger. _How dare he!_ "You're a jerk, Inuyasha! Just stay away from me! Serves me right for trying to have a civilized conversation with an egotistical jerk!"

She turned on her heel and crunched away through the snow, leaving a slightly guilt-ridden dog demon behind her. When her boot slipped on a patch of ice, she was forced to slow her steps. Therefore, her dramatic exit was less dramatic with her picking her way carefully over the ground.

After she had put some distance between herself and the source of her ire, she calmed down and began to rethink some of the things she had said. _I can't believe I called Santa Claus a jerk. _She winced. _Souta would have a cat if he heard me. Nobody sane badmouths Santa. He'll probably make the rest of the year a living nightmare. If he doesn't decide to give me nothing but coal for every remaining Christmas of my life._

Just then, she spotted Miroku and Sango coming out of the animal barn. Sango was carrying Kirara and laughing with Miroku about something. Kagome brightened. They could help her forget all about certain rude, arrogant dog demons.

She waved vigorously. "Hey, Miroku! Hey, Sango!"

Sango and Miroku stopped and waited until she caught up with them. Kirara greeted her with a friendly little mew, to which Kagome responded by scratching the firecat under the chin.

"Do either of you want to do something today?" she asked. "I need to work off a little steam."

"Had another fight with Inuyasha?" Sango asked sympathetically. Kagome scowled and said nothing, which was all the answer they needed.

"Inuyasha's not so bad once you get to know him," Miroku offered. He directed a sly smile at Kagome. "And he must like you. Or he wouldn't spend so much time with you trading insults. Inuyasha's usual answer to things he doesn't like is to ignore them or walk away."

"Let's not talk about dog boy," Kagome said. "I'm tired of sitting around doing nothing. There aren't even any decent malls around here."

"Sorry, Kagome," Sango smiled apologetically, "but Miroku and I are just leaving for border patrol. We'll do something fun when we get back. Shouldn't be more than a week or two."

"Oh." Kagome tried not to let her disappointment show. It's not like Sango's only job was to entertain her. "That's okay. Border patrol's important. Maybe I'll go find Shippou or something."

"Shippou has lessons today," Miroku gently reminded her. "Same as all the other children. And Kouga took his pack on a hunting expedition. I think Jinenji might be free, though, or Hojo."

Kagome forced a smile onto her face. "Don't worry about me. I'm sure I'll find something to keep me occupied."

Sango and Miroku exchanged concerned glances, but responded to Kagome's farewell with waves of their own. They left the girl and walked to the edge of the village, where Sango let Kirara jump out of her arms. In a whirlwind of flame, the firecat morphed into her larger form. The two of them climbed onto her back, holding on as she jumped and soared in the direction of the border at treetop level.

Kagome sighed as she watched them go. Now what? Feeling at loose ends, she wandered down the street. When she reached Kaede's house, she noticed with a small degree of disappointment that Inuyasha was no longer there.

She hesitated for a long moment at the start of the path that led to the greenhouse. Hojo was probably there, puttering around with his plants. He would be glad to see her, but she didn't think she could face the obvious adoration he directed towards her.

What about Jinenji? No. Kagome shook her head. The gentle giant was sweet, but incredibly tongue-tied in her presence. Holding a conversation with him was extremely frustrating.

Kagome turned around and retraced her steps to Kaede's. It was not one of her favorite things to do, but maybe the old woman would give her another lesson. At least it would pass the time.

She pushed open the doors to the workshop, silent and empty at this time of the year, and headed for the small room at the back that was Kaede's office.

"Kaede? Are you here?" Kagome sidestepped a small puddle of melting snow and entered the office. "I'm sorry to bother you, but do you have time to—"

Kagome stared at the figure standing in the middle of the room. Water dripped off the hem of the strange child's dress. She held a small mirror in one hand, with the other one resting on the glass case that held the jewel Kaede called the Shikon no Tama.

"Stop," the child ordered in a hollow-sounding voice. The mirror in her hand flashed once.

Kagome tried to demand some answers, but found that her vocal chords were frozen. She was unable to emit even a frightened squeak. Her limbs had been locked into place, as well.

The bright surface of the mirror darkened until a man's face stared out at the schoolgirl. The child released the glass case to protectively cup the mirror, tilting it until Kagome could see the person inside it easily.

"What have we here?" the man purred. "I sense a great deal of potential. And next to no training."

_Who are you? What are you doing here?_ Kagome shrieked within the confines of her own mind. She watched helplessly as the man studied her as someone might an interesting bug he was debating on whether or not to squish.

"Bring her to me, Kanna," the man abruptly ordered. "The Shikon no Tama has too many protections placed upon it. But this girl is wonderfully vulnerable and may be of even more use to me."

"Yes, Lord Naraku," Kanna intoned.

Naraku frowned thoughtfully at Kagome. "We cannot depend upon the girl's cooperation. Bring her to me directly. By the time these fools sense the magic, it will be too late."

"Yes, Lord Naraku." Kanna stepped forward and touched a finger to the middle of Kagome's stomach. She traced a line from there to a spot level with her heart. The mirror started to glow with white light that was tinged with a sullen red.

As the spell took hold, it felt as if all of her insides were being squeezed together. Kagome screamed, but nobody heard for she was still mute.

The mirror's glow burned even brighter.

* * *

Inuyasha paced restlessly around the village. It got so boring right after the Christmas rush. Everybody else had things to do, and he just felt so useless. 

Maybe he should go find Kagome again. It was so entertaining watching her try to control her emotions. Who knew human faces could turn so many interesting colors?

The hollow feeling in his gut reminded him that it was time for lunch. That's probably where the girl was. She was as regular as clockwork when it came to meals. His mind made up, Inuyasha headed for the cafeteria.

"Hi, Inuyasha!" A small blur of russet-colored fur leaped for his shoulder. Shippou balanced awkwardly, one hand carefully gripping a piece of paper. "Where's Kagome? I want to show her the picture I drew in class today."

"How am I supposed to know where that annoying girl is?" He barely noticed the small kitsune's weight and didn't bother trying to remove him from his shoulder. That was one of the many habits that he had been unable to break the kit from. "What am I? Her keeper?"

Shippou leveled him with a flat look. "Yeah, you are. Or did you forget that Kaede assigned you to be her guardian while she's staying with us?"

Inuyasha glared at the snow rather than looking into Shippou's accusing eyes. He had forgotten. "She's around here somewhere. Probably found somebody else to interrogate."

"Like Hojo?"

Inuyasha flinched. His shoulders tensed, but with his gaze fixed on the ground he didn't see the smug grin cross Shippou's face. "Why would Kagome want to hang around with that pansy-assed plant lover?"

"Probably because he doesn't yell at her." Shippou carefully folded his drawing and tucked it inside his shirt. "He gives her pretty presents. He doesn't tell her that she's weak and useless if she mentions being homesick."

A puzzled frown creased Inuyasha's brow. "Why would Kagome be homesick? Her home's still there. She'll get to go back next Christmas."

Shippou sighed. "That's not the point—"

Inuyasha snapped a hand up to cover the kit's mouth, cutting off whatever he was about to say. "Quiet!" he hissed. His ears twitched and the hair on the back of his neck prickled uncomfortably.

Shippou immediately went still, his eyes wide over the large clawed hand on his mouth. Tiny hands gripped Inuyasha's jacket as he caught the same sense of working magic that had alerted his companion.

Inuyasha released the kit and stood very still, his madly rotating ears the only part of him that moved. "This way!" He sprinted in the direction of the workshop, and Kaede's office. "The magic is strongest over here!"

"Maybe someone is after the Shikon no Tama!" Shippou panted breathlessly, hanging onto Inuyasha's jacket with all of his strength.

"Not while I'm around," Inuyasha growled.

Inuyasha charged into the workshop. A trail of wet footprints pointed the way to Kaede's office. He staggered as a strong wave of malevolent energy pulsed through the air.

For a moment, he wished for a better weapon than claws and fangs. His demon father had once bequeathed him a sword known as Tetsusaiga. He had abandoned it in the far distant past when Kaede first took him in as a possible apprentice.

The powerful sword had been the source of nothing but pain and heartache. He was glad it was gone.

_And my asshole of a brother is welcome to it! If he ever learned how to wield it!_

He hit the office door at a dead run.

And bounced off of it.

Inuyasha shook his head and glared in frustration at the unyielding wood. Sullen red light leaked through the cracks between the door and the frame.

Shippou leaned forward. He yelped and jerked back when a tendril of energy writhed towards him. "What's going on, Inuyasha?"

"Naraku," Inuyasha growled. "I'd recognize his foul magical presence anywhere."

"How did he get past the border?" Shippou asked. He clutched the hanyou's jacket tighter. "Nobody's supposed to be able to get past the border! Kaede said it was im—impeni—impossible to get through! Where's Kaede? What are we going to do?"

"Stop acting hysterical!" Inuyasha snapped. "You're not helping!" He roughly pried the kit off of his shoulder, letting Shippou drop to the ground while he eyed the door.

_Kaede's going to pitch a fit—_Inuyasha pushed back his sleeves—_but it's the fastest way._

He glared at the door and took a deep breath. Letting it out, he reached for the magic that Kaede had bequeathed to him along with the title of Santa Claus. Usually he used just a little of this power, and only during the Christmas season.

_The old hag says I need more training before I can fully tap this power._ Inuyasha snorted. _But I can sure as hell tap it enough to crack the barrier._

The power fought him, struggling to squirm out of his grasp. Ruthlessly he bent it to his will, his stubborn streak coming in handy for once.

He grunted with the strain and poured more energy into the magic, sensing that whatever was happening on the other side of the door would soon be over. The wood groaned with the pressure. With a dull roar, the door exploded into splinters and the two powers fully clashed.

Bright light lit up the office and the entire workshop like a Christmas tree. Inuyasha blinked rapidly, eyes tearing from the light.

Kagome stood inside, her body outlined in the same sullen red light. A pale-looking child stared at him with emotionless eyes. In her hand, she held a mirror that seemed to be the source of the energy.

"Kagome?" Shippou edged a little into the room, picking his way over the splinters of door.

The red light expanded to enclose Kagome and the strange child in a bubble.

Inuyasha stumbled forward, breathing hard and trying not to show it. Forcing the power to do what he wanted had taken a lot of energy. Now he remembered why the old hag was always lecturing him about training and safety precautions.

"Kagome?" he croaked.

The bubble filled with mist. Suddenly it burst!

Inuyasha coughed and wiped his streaming eyes. When he could see again, the mist had vanished.

So had Kagome.

"Kagome!"

**

* * *

Phobia of the week:** Zemmiphobia- Fear of the great mole rat 


	10. Winter Wonderland

_And I'm back! Grad school took up a lot more time than I was expecting. And since my grades are more important to me than fanfiction (no matter how much fun the story is) my writing got kind of put on the back burner. My nephew is eight and a half months old and very active. He requires almost constant watching during the day, so I don't write then, either. But none of my stories have been abandoned yet. I will finish them! And maybe even write new ones. I've got plunnies knocking around in my head, but I don't want to start anything new until I finish a few other stories._

_When we last saw our heroes:_

_Kagome had another fight with Inuyasha and wandered off, feeling rather depressed and homesick. She walked into Kaede's office and surprised Kanna in the act of stealing the Shikon no Tama. Lord Naraku was interested in Kagome's untapped and untrained potential and ordered Kanna to kidnap her instead. Meanwhile, Inuyasha was feeling bored and a little bit bad about the fight, even though he wouldn't miss it. He sensed magic nearby and went dashing off to play hero. It was too late. By the time he blasted open the door, the spell was complete, and Kanna and Kagome disappeared in a burst of mist and magic._

_And now on to Chapter 10! Enjoy!_

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

HERE COMES SANTA CLAWS

Chapter 10: Winter Wonderland

* * *

Kagome groaned and pressed her face into her pillow. There was a dull throbbing behind her eyes and her mouth tasted like it had been stuffed with cotton balls. She swallowed and her stomach responded with unhappy flips. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she clenched her teeth and tried not to retch.

_What happened?_ Her mind felt fuzzy, recent memories blurring into an indecipherable mess. _Did I faint?_ Fainting seemed to be involved, but if that was before or after the mind-numbing darkness, she couldn't be sure.

The nausea was slowly fading, but that could be because her pounding headache was demanding all of her attention. Memories were sneaking back in, but they were fragmented to say the least. There was a girl, and a man in a mirror, and Inuyasha.

_Inuyasha! _Kagome sat up abruptly. Her head swam as her last meal threatened to make an unwanted reappearance. Sternly she forced her queasy stomach into submission and took her first look around.

She was sitting on a large—easily king-sized—bed, covered by a thick furry white comforter of some kind. The room itself was painted white with stark black tapestries everywhere. Alternating black and white throw rugs littered the floor. Everything, in fact, was in either black or white, the only exceptions being the three lanterns placed about the room. The flickering blood-red glow caused the most macabre shadows to dance upon the walls and stained the white walls a bloody pink.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called softly. She slid to the edge of the bed, feeling for the nightstand to keep from bumping her toes. The lanterns may have added to the décor of the room, but they didn't give much light. "Are you there?"

There was no response and Kagome felt herself growing frightened and a little annoyed. "Is this your idea of a joke, Inuyasha?"

Kagome made a slow circuit of the room which, since the room was perfectly circular, made her feel like she was trapped inside a giant hamster wheel. Her explorations revealed nothing except three ordinary doors. The first led into a black and white bathroom with a blood-red toilet seat cover. The second appeared to be a closet of some kind. It was filled with hideously baggy clothes in red and white. The third was locked.

It refused to budge. She even tried ramming it, but all that got her was a bruised shoulder. In the bathroom, among the brushes and scrunchies and half-empty lipstick tubes, she found a box of hairpins. Scampering back to the locked door, she straightened the pin and jammed it into the keyhole. After several minutes of careful fiddling, she sighed and sat back on her heels.

"This might work if I actually knew how to pick locks," she muttered, scowling. Feeling more than a little childish, she stood up and kicked the door. "Open up, dammit!"

To her surprise, the lock clicked and the knob slowly turned. Kagome backpedaled to the dubious safety of the bed. At least it was something large she could keep between her and an unknown attacker.

A woman entered the room. She wore a kimono not unlike Sango's and wore jade beads threaded onto the hair by her ears and feather ornaments in the bun on the top of her head. When Kagome let her eyes wander to the jade beads again, she sucked in a breath. The woman's ears were pointed! She was a demon!

"Good. You're awake." The woman afforded Kagome a brief glance out of disconcertingly red eyes. "Lord Naraku will see you now." She pointed to somewhere out of the room with a fan held casually in her hand.

"Who-Who are you?" Kagome's voice squeaked on the last word. She swallowed to moisten her throat. "How did I get here? What are you going to do with me? I want answers before I'll go anywhere with you!"

"I always get the stubborn ones," the woman harrumphed. She regarded Kagome through narrowed eyes and tapped her fan against her chin. "My name is Kagura, mortal girl. As for the rest… "She shrugged. "They are for Lord Naraku to answer if he so chooses."

Kagome stared in morbid fascination at the fan in Kagura's hand. It seemed to pulse with its own aura—an aura of hatred and violence. She jumped when Kagura abruptly flipped the fan open before snapping it shut again.

"Today, mortal," Kagura snapped. "I have more important things to do than play messenger to one of Kaede's foundlings."

Somehow, Kagome doubted that arguing would be wise in this situation. She scrambled off the bed and stood at the foot, nervously smoothing the fabric of her blouse. Kagura sighed and rolled her eyes before turning on her heel and marching out the door and into the dark hallway. Kagome meekly followed, casting one last glance back at the room which had seemed a prison before, but now represented someplace safe and familiar. She stared at her guide's back and a shiver worked its way down her spine. _Inuyasha, where are you?_

Kagome and her silent guide traveled down many hallways, all eerily identical, down to the exact same number of doors in each one. She knew; she had counted. After only a few minutes of walking, her head was throbbing and her nausea threatened to return.

"Are we there yet?" she complained. Kagura turned her head just enough to glare at Kagome. _Maybe she'll kill me and put me out of my misery, _Kagome thought, following Kagura down yet another hallway. _Or this blasted headache will!_

Focused on her own agony, Kagome failed to notice Kagura come to a stop and yelped when her nose smashed against the demon's back. "Next time, signal when you're going to stop!"

"We're here." Kagura nodded at the plain white door. Kagome wondered how she could be sure, because the door looked just like the million others they had passed on their little journey.

"Um… Okay." Kagome cocked her head as she studied the door and then looked at Kagura, waiting for some kind of direction.

"Oh, for the love of… " Kagura twisted the doorknob and shoved the door open. "Go in, you little idiot. Lord Naraku is expecting you. And don't stray from the marked path."

"Why?" The girl leaned forward to get a look at the room. In direct contrast to the well-lit hallway, the room was pitch black. She couldn't see more than a foot or two inside, but there did seem to be some kind of dimly illuminated pathway that meandered into the darkness.

Kagura grinned. It wasn't a pleasant grin. "Leave the path and you'll live long enough to regret it."

At the irritatingly vague answer, Kagome's mouth firmed. She was sick of vague comments and half-answers. Neither Inuyasha nor Kaede had given her a straightforward answer since she'd arrived at the North Pole. Even the few friends she had made there gave confusing answers to her questions – if they bothered to answer her at all.

Turning to face the demon, she plastered a sickeningly sweet smile on her face. "Thank you for taking the time out of your horrendously busy schedule to escort me to the man who kidnapped me and transported me from one place I don't want to be to another place I don't want to be. I'm sorry to have been such a burden. You can go now." She flipped her hand at Kagura and stepped forward into the darkened room.

The door slammed shut behind her.

Kagome froze. It really was dark in here. She held one hand up in front of her and waved it back and forth. A slight breeze told her that she had not gone insane. Her hand was there; she just couldn't see it.

"Follow the path."

"Huh?" Kagome started as a whispery voice floated out of nowhere. Instinctively she looked down.

A swath of darkness, about the width of a footpath, was outlined by little glowing things. They seemed to shift slightly before her eyes. Thinking that the barely seen movement must be because of the still-present headache, she bent closer to get a better look. One of the glowing things looked back at her. Kagome recoiled.

Slugs. Two long lines of phosphorescent, slimy, disgusting slugs.

"Stay on the path."

Kagome swallowed down her nausea. She walked forward, staying well within the boundaries defined by the slugs and keeping one hand thrust out in front of her. The path could lead anywhere. The last thing she wanted to do was walk into a wall or off the edge of a pit. The whispered voice continued to echo around her, repeating only "Follow the path" and "Stay on the path" at irregular intervals.

"Stop."

The new command jolted Kagome out of the half-soporific state she had slid into without being aware of it.

"Ouch." She cursed under her breath as she smashed her fingers against some kind of unyielding surface. The long line of slugs continued sliding forward, but seemed to abruptly disappear after reaching a certain spot. Kagome watched as they slowly oozed out of sight and realized that they were crawling under some kind of barrier.

"That's it! The path ends here? Is this some kind of sick joke?" Sticking her bruised fingers in her mouth, she cautiously explored the unknown object with her other hand. _There's got to be a door, a button, a secret lever… something!"_

The voice had gone still. It seemed that she wasn't going to be getting any guidance on this one. Only the thought that turning around meant another nightmare trip through the slugs and the darkness kept her probing hopefully at the wall. Finally her fingers brushed against the hard coldness of a doorknob.

_Please don't be locked,_ she chanted silently as she twisted the knob. To her relief, the door opened easily.

Bright light filled the doorway, temporarily blinding her. She blinked, eyes tearing and her headache redoubling in intensity. Rubbing her eyes only added spots and dancing flakes of color to the eye-stabbing brightness.

"Ah. You must be Kagome," a low male voice said from somewhere in front of her. "Don't be shy. No need to linger in doorways."

"I'm not," Kagome muttered under her breath. "I just can't see. What kind of idiot has people walk into a brightly lit room from a pitch black one?" Slowly her vision was returning to normal, but now all she wanted to do was lie down. Nausea churned in her gut and she swallowed to force down the bile that rose in her throat.

One of the first things that she noticed as her vision cleared was that she was standing on a solid white floor. Unlike her room, this floor was not covered by rugs and the surface was shiny enough that she could see her reflection. She grimaced and automatically put her hand to the tangled, flyaway mess that was her hair. This was not one of her better days. Maybe she should have taken advantage of the bathroom to freshen up before confronting her kidnapper. It probably wouldn't have made a difference to him, but she would feel better.

"Come forward, child," the male voice ordered. Kagome shivered suddenly. There was a hint of something lurking just under the surface of his pleasant words. She couldn't say exactly what it was, except that she didn't want to stay in this man's presence a moment longer than necessary.

Kagome forced her aching and nauseated body to obey the command. Lord Naraku sat at the end of the rather large room on a throne-like chair. An empty wine glass dangled from his fingers and he looked slightly bored, but there was an intensity in his dark gaze that made her nervous. A small child stood beside him, cradling a mirror in her hands. There was something familiar about her… A sudden sharp jolt of pain caused her to gasp. Kagome rubbed her temples, allowing half-forgotten memories of mirrors and girls in white dresses to scatter.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome started for the throne. Her shoes clicked loudly on the highly polished floor. Lining the approach to Naraku's throne were two columns of statues enclosed in clear glass boxes. Kagome glanced at the first ones and then had to stop to examine them more closely.

"They look so real," she breathed, reaching out to touch the glass surrounding a majestic caribou.

"Please don't touch," Naraku said mildly. Kagome froze with her fingers inches away from the case. "I don't want fingerprints on the glass. It takes the servants days to polish the displays."

"Where did you get such amazing statues?" Kagome asked, resuming her walk, but stopping occasionally to study a penguin or a polar bear or a moose. "They look so lifelike."

"They should be since I had the world's best taxidermist mount them in realistic poses after they were stuffed."

Kagome felt even sicker. "You… you… killed them?"

"Not necessarily." Kagome glanced at the throne, but was still too far away to make out Naraku's features to know if he felt at all bad about the killing of helpless animals. "They were in my way. Their eventual demise was merely hastened."

Kagome looked away and found herself staring into the vacant glass eyes of a red fox. Something about its face, or maybe it was the long fluffy tail, reminded her strongly of Shippou.

Somehow she made it the rest of the way to the throne without looking directly at Naraku or his ghastly displays. It seemed rude to continue to ignore him after she reached her destination, and Kagome Higurashi was anything but rude. This man may have kidnapped her from a place where she was beginning to feel safe, if not entirely at home, but the same could be said for Inuyasha. He was a kidnapper, too, if you thought about it.

Naraku wasn't half bad looking. Kagome looked at him out of the corner of her eye while pretending to study an intricate piece of filigree on the throne. He had long slightly curly hair so dark that it swallowed light instead of reflecting it. His outfit was made entirely from black silk. Boots, shirt, and pants were an unrelieved black, standing out starkly against the white marble of the throne.

_I wonder if his underwear is black. _She snickered, finding the irrelevant thought funny. At Naraku's raised eyebrow, she swallowed the rest of her giggles and went back to trying not to faint or throw up all over the pristine white floor.

Draped casually over his shoulders was a white cape that appeared to have some kind of hood, but it was half-hidden by his hair so Kagome couldn't get a good look at it. _I bet he's lived with the penguins too long. Maybe he thinks he _is_ a penguin._ That would certainly explain the black and white theme running rampant around the building.

Kagome grimaced as the place directly behind her eyes twinged, shooting pain through her skull. _Okay. Enough thinking. Just make the pain go away._ A pair of pale white hands entered her field of vision, holding a white ceramic mug that steamed and smelled faintly of lavender.

"Drink it, child," Naraku advised. The girl looked at her kidnapper doubtfully and then back at the steaming mug. "The transportation spell can be a little rough on newcomers. The tea will take care of that headache and calm your stomach, as well."

"What do I have to lose?" Kagome accepted the mug and sipped carefully, screwing her face into a preemptive grimace of distaste.

Grandfather insisted on treating all of the family's ills with ancient home-brewed remedies. His potions and tonics all had one thing in common – they all tasted vile. Anybody unfortunate enough to get dosed with one of his concoctions would insist that they were not only well enough to go to school, but could also run a marathon and write an essay on the history of rutabagas at the same time. None of his remedies worked. Often the patient would feel worse, not better, after trying to stomach one.

"Mmmmm." Kagome took another, more appreciative sip. "This stuff isn't half bad." Her head didn't pound quite so fiercely anymore, and her vision was returning to singular instead of double or triple. She took a deep breath, relishing the absence of cramps and general feeling of queasiness. "What's in it?"

Naraku smiled. "Just the usual. Lavender, honey, willow bark, and ground up livers and tongues of wolf demons."

"Lavender." Kagome took another sip. "That's why it smells so good. And willo- livers! And tongues! From wolf demons!" The mug slipped from suddenly nerveless fingers as she sprayed her last mouthful of tea all over the shiny white floor.

A little green demon scuttled from wherever he had been lurking, rag in hand, to mop up the spilled tea and ceramic shards. Kagome ignored him, too busy being shocked, disgusted, and nauseated again to pay any attention to anything else. _Wolf demons? Did I hear that right? It couldn't be! Could it?_

Naraku shifted on his throne, leaning back with a small smile on his face. He also ignored the cringing demon, instead, holding out his glass and accepting a refill of bright red liquid from the silent but attentive ghost girl. "Thank you, Kanna. Why don't you go mingle with the other children for a while?" Kanna gave no sign that she had heard him—just obediently turned and walked away, disappearing through another door.

"Pretty, pretty Miko," crooned the little green demon, dabbing at Kagome's tea splattered shoes with his stained rag. "Much prettier, yes? Be nice to Jaken? No nasty arrows? Jaken good servant." She stepped back in disgust, but the creature had a tight grip on her pant leg. She couldn't dislodge him without touching him, and that was something she couldn't stomach.

Pay no attention to him," Naraku drawled lazily. "He's quite mad." He sighed. "Jaken, must we have that talk again?"

The demon cringed, even more than he was already cringing, and raised skinny green arms over his head. "No! No talk! Jaken good! Jaken good!" Scooping up as many ceramic shards as he could, he continued to babble. "Nice Lord! Good Lord! Best Lord Jaken has ever had!" He peered up at Naraku hopefully, his bulging eyes confused and unfocused. "Jaken go now, yes? Care for white dog display? Daisies need watering, fur needs brushing."

"Go." Barely was the command given when the strange little demon disappeared so fast that Kagome could have sworn it was magic.

"What—" Kagome stopped and gathered her scattered thoughts. Surely this day couldn't get any stranger. She dismissed the little demon as just disturbing and focused on more important issues. "What was that you said earlier? About using the tongues and livers of wolf demons?" She swallowed and nearly gagged, still able to taste the tea on her tongue. "I know some wolf demons. They're a little rough and possessive, but that's no reason to… to… ugh, it's disgusting!"

"I have not directly involved myself with any wolf demons for centuries," Naraku said. "I have other sources for receiving those things that are no longer in use by their original owners. Quite bloodless, I assure you." Abruptly he stood and descended the two steps from the dais down to her level. "You're overwrought, child. Why don't you take a stroll in the garden? It will help clear your head. We can talk more later. "

"I like gardens," Kagome murmured. "I wonder if it will be as nice as Hojo's greenhouse." She squeaked in surprise as a man materialized at her elbow. "Does everybody around here have the bad habit of popping out of the middle of nowhere and scaring the crap out of visitors?"

"Ah, Suikotsu. Why don't you show our lovely guest to the cherry blossom garden? The trees should be in bloom. I'm sure she'll find it relaxing."

"As you wish, Lord Naraku." The handsome young man performed a slight bow before turning to Kagome. "Shall we go, my lady?"

Thrown off balance once again by the abrupt change in conversation, she could only nod helplessly and follow. Thankfully, they headed in another direction from the room of darkness and slugs. "Um… Shouldn't I go get my coat? If we're going outside I'll need it. By the way, where are we?"

"Antarctica." Suikotsu selected a door seemingly at random and waved Kagome through it.

"Antarctica!? I'll definitely need my coat!"

"You won't need it." The young man pushed open another door, allowing natural light to spill into the hallway. Kagome recoiled, expecting to be hit with a blast of freezing air.

"Oh!"

A warm breeze pushed against her, laden with the heady smells of cherry trees in bloom. A cheeky little wren trilled a melody from the branch where it had a nest, to be answered by its mate. Butterflies spread their delicate wings, seeming to float from flower to flower. Somewhere, from out of sight, came the sounds of children chanting a rhyming song.

"What is this place?" Kagome walked onto the soft grass, swiveling her head from side to side in wonder and delight. "This must be a really big greenhouse. To be built right next to the main building!"

"This isn't a greenhouse," Suikotsu said from the door. "It's completely natural. Lord Naraku prefers it that way." He pointed to a path that led off to the right when she turned to look at him. "Follow that path. It will lead straight to the cherry blossom garden. Someone will retrieve you when it is time to come in. There's just one thing you need to know."

"Let me guess, 'Leave the path and you will live long enough to regret it.'" Kagome sighed. _I knew this was too good to be real._

"No." He looked at her quizzically. "The gardeners might be upset if you crush their flowers, but you don't have to stay only on the path. Don't go past the markers. Winter still has a grip out there."

"What are the markers? How will I know not to go past them if I don't know what they are?"

Suikotsu laughed. "Believe me, you'll know what the markers are if you see them." With that he retreated back inside, closing the door behind him.

_What a strange man, _Kagome mused as she meandered down the path in the direction of the promised cherry trees. She looked around herself in delight, stopping in startlement when a little brown rabbit hopped across the path in front of her. _This place is amazing. I wonder if Kaede could do the same thing with the North Pole. She seems to have a lot of power, enough to make Christmas gifts appear out of practically nothing. They can't all prefer to live in snow and darkness for most of the year._

She found the cherry trees without too much trouble and spent a heavenly hour wandering among the trunks. Since she hadn't exactly been forbidden not to, she decided to explore the rest of her surroundings. Her nose led her to some lilac bushes with fat little bees buzzing sleepily as they visited flower after flower.

After a while, she became aware that she hadn't seen another person or demon in the whole time she had been outside. Even the children, still chanting their infectious melodies, were nowhere to be seen.

"Suikotsu mentioned gardeners. Maybe they're all taking a nap?" She frowned and, as she wandered from one marvel to the next, kept watch for reclusive gardeners or curious children. But the sun slipped toward the horizon without her spotting a single soul. Kagome found her energy flagging and began to look around for somebody, anybody, who could show her the way back to the main building and her room. With all of her wanderings, she had somehow gotten herself lost.

"Who are you? And what are you doing in my garden?"

_

* * *

Yay! More plot! Still have only vague ideas of where this story is going. It tends to reveal itself to me as I write._

_Unless I receive strenuous objections, I am only going to concentrate on one story at a time. I'll work on "Here Comes Santa Claws" for now. "All of Me" will have to wait unless I get really good inspiration or write myself into a corner with HCSC and need a break. If enough people prefer one story over the other, let me know and I'll work on that one instead._

**Food for thought:** There are two types of pedestrians: the quick and the dead


	11. Do You Hear What I Hear?

_Sorry for the delay. My muse has been playing hide and seek, without the seek part. This chapter had me blocked for a long time, but it finally came together. The next chapter already exists as a vague outline. I just hope I have time and motivation to write it._

_Enjoy!_

I don't own Inuyasha. Sole rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

HERE COMES SANTA CLAWS

Chapter 11: Do You Hear What I Hear?

* * *

Kagome jumped. Lost in her own thoughts, she hadn't heard anyone else approach. A strange girl, probably only a year or two older than Kagome, stood next to a gnarled old tree. One hand rested lightly on the trunk as she frowned at Kagome. Her clothes looked like the same red and white garments filling the closet in the room Kagome had awakened in. And her long black hair was tied back out of her face with a simple white ribbon 

"Who are you?" the girl asked again, a hint of impatience entering her tone. "I've already told Naraku that I do not require any assistance. And I haven't changed my mind. You can inform your Master that my answer is still 'no.'"

"Naraku is not my 'Master,'" Kagome informed the strange girl sharply. Kidnapping and the strangeness that had happened since made her temper short. "For your information, my name is Kagome. I just got here today, and it wasn't by choice. When Inuyasha and Kaede hear—"

"Inuyasha?" Emotion flickered in the girl's eyes and her fingers tightened on the bark. "You know Inuyasha?"

"Ummm… kind of. Wait, how do you know him?"

She smiled then, a sad curving of the lips that was gone almost as quickly as it happened. "Inuyasha and I have a… history… together."

"What does that mean?"

"That's all you need to know, girl." She turned her head to watch the sun's dying rays paint the clouds a pale pink. "It's getting dark. You should head back to your cage, where it's safe."

"What gives you the right to tell me what to do?" Kagome stuck out her chin and glared. "Who are you anyway?"

The girl looked at Kagome. Something in her eyes made Kagome take an involuntary step back. "My name is Kikyou. And you are a fool, girl."

"My name's not 'girl,'" Kagome asserted. "Or 'child.' Or 'mortal.' Or whatever else you seriously disturbed people want to call me. It's Kagome. And I think I deserve some answers! I'm tired of everybody giving me the brush-off!"

Kikyou's eyes snapped fire, but she made a serious effort to control herself. "You are involved in matters that are far beyond you, _girl_. If I were you, I would mind my manners. Naraku will send you home soon. Just like all the others."

"What others?" Kagome didn't like the sound of that. Did Naraku make a habit out of kidnapping innocent people? She already didn't trust him, and she didn't want to think about _how _he would send her home. Her overactive imagination supplied several very gruesome possibilities. "I-I won't go without a fight. I have friends. And-and family. They'll turn the world upside down if I come home in a shoebox." She tried not to think about someone jumping out from behind a tree, grabbing her, and dragging her away to a secluded corner to do unspeakable things to her body. _I have got to quit watching so many police dramas._

"What are you talking about?" Kikyou looked puzzled, a small frown creasing her brow. "Never mind. I don't want to know. Mortals never make sense."

Kikyou stepped out from under the shadow of the tree. Her movements were smooth and graceful, making Kagome feel like a waddling hippo by comparison. But there was something in her eyes that was cold and unfeeling—the eyes of someone who had given up hope a long time ago.

"Go back to your room, girl. It's getting late. Even the other children have gone to bed."

"Other children?" Kagome swallowed hard. Every time she started to get a handle on things, Kikyou said something else to knock her off balance. "You mean there are more? How many people has Naraku kidnapped?"

"Naraku doesn't kidnap!" Kikyou snapped. Kagome took an involuntary step back at the other girl's sudden anger. "He rescues abandoned children and lets them live here for a time. When they are ready, he sends them back home, to someplace where they'll be happy." She pointed back the way Kagome had come. "Now, get out of my garden!"

"I don't know how, miss I'm-better-than-you!" Kagome was tired of backing down. Who did this bitch think she was, anyway? To go psychotic over a simple question? She obviously had major issues. "I went for a walk and I was following the sound of children singing and now I'm lost!"

Kikyou rolled her eyes. "Give me a break. Mortals are getting dumber every year." She stalked past Kagome, turned, and glanced over her shoulder. "Come on. It's getting dark. The sooner you're back where you belong, the happier I'll be."

"That makes two of us," Kagome muttered. She followed Kikyou only because she truly was lost and the wondrous garden was starting to feel a bit creepy as the last of the sun's light faded.

Kikyou didn't talk as stalked down various paths. Kagome wasn't feeling too talkative herself. It didn't help that even Kikyou's angry walk was incredibly poised and flowing. Several times, she almost opened her mouth to ask a question but then decided against it. That didn't stop the endless questions running through her head. Just how did Kikyou know Inuyasha? And what was she doing here instead of at the North Pole? And why was Naraku living here, reproducing Kaede's work on a grander and more impressive scale? Shouldn't they be working together? They could accomplish so much more!

So wrapped up in her ponderings was she that she actually yelped and jumped sideways into a dwarf pine as a man appeared on the path before them. Kikyou stopped and narrowed her eyes at him, ignoring Kagome as she struggled out of the tree's embrace.

"What do you want, Bankotsu?" Kikyou asked.

Kagome pretended to concentrate on brushing pine needles off her clothing, casting subtle glances at the newcomer. Bankotsu was quite cute in a dangerous bad-boy type of way. His long black hair was braided down his back and he bore a curious star-shaped mark on his forehead. His white clothes, even with the purple designs on what looked like some kind of armor, argued for someone who didn't like to get dirty. She glanced at his face and instantly revised her first impression. His eyes were even colder than Kikyou's, but they weren't empty like hers. They were hard and unyielding, with a callous indifference to human or demon life that left Kagome feeling chilled.

"Master Naraku was afraid that the girl had gotten lost." A sardonic twist of his lips let Kagome know that he was aware of her examining him. "I've come to bring her back."

Kikyou narrowed her eyes. "And why does Naraku care so much for this girl? She may have a shred of ability, but there are lots more where she came from."

Bankotsu shrugged. "I don't question. I just obey the one with the deepest pockets. And as long as Naraku continues to give me and my men what we want, I'll follow orders."

"You're twisted!" Kikyou spat. "There's more to life than money!"

Bankotsu favored Kikyou with an amused look. "But, my dear Kikyou, isn't that why you hooked up with Naraku in the first place? Abandoned your friends and your duty for the one you could give you what you craved?"

Kikyou firmed her lips and didn't answer. She just glared at Bankotsu with hatred.

Feeling ignored, Kagome let out a small sigh. It had been a long day and she wanted to get back to the relative familiarity of the room she had awakened in. The South Pole might be impressive, but it seemed to be filled with certifiable nut bars.

A cold wind suddenly sliced through the trees. Kagome shivered as an eerie howling filled the air. It was mournful and filled with a terrible hunger. Kikyou and Bankotsu stopped sniping at each other and looked out through the trees, towards the east.

"The amarok are walking tonight," Kikyou stated flatly. She turned to Bankotsu. "Take her back to the castle. I have work to do."

Kagome stared as Kikyou turned and abruptly walked away. She looked at Bankotsu who was watching Kikyou with an unreadable expression in his eyes. "What's an amarok?"

Bankotsu laughed. "Trust me, you don't want to know. This way."

He led her swiftly along the myriad paths, reaching the castle in a matter of minutes. Kagome was surprised. She'd had no idea they were that close. The castle seemed to just suddenly appear. Instead of heading for the closest door, Bankotsu turned and strode along the perimeter of the castle. By this time Kagome was getting tired and just wanted to fall into bed. She twitched each time one of the, yet unseen, amarok broke into a fresh spate of howling. They were sounding very close and very hungry.

"Are we there yet?" Kagome demanded. "Those amarok things sound like they are getting closer. Just pick a door already and open it."

Bankotsu cast an amused glance at her over his shoulder. "The amarok are the least of your worries if you go through the wrong door, girl. Many of the residents don't take kindly to interruptions. I'm sure Naraku would punish anyone who flailed the flesh from your bones or sucked your brain out with a bendy straw, but it would be too late for you. Be patient. You'll live longer that way."

He finally chose a door that, wonder of wonders, looked just like the last half dozen they had passed. It opened into another one of those long white halls, with periodic doors and torches flickering in sconces at regular intervals. After another five minutes of walking, Kagome would swear that the particular hallway they were traipsing down looked familiar. Oh yeah, she was definitely losing it.

Kagura suddenly appeared before them. Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes. At this rate she was never going to get to bed.

"Let me guess," she said to the demon. "Naraku would like to talk to me. And it's so terribly important that it can't wait until morning."

"Huh. Pretty sharp for a human." Kagura ran her fingers over the fan tucked into her sash. "A word of advice, mortal. Watch that tongue of yours or you might get it sliced off."

Kagome huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Running escort duty again, Kagura," Bankotsu said with a mocking gleam in his eye. "This is what, the third time this year. Naraku must be really pissed at you this time."

Kagura narrowed her eyes. "Be careful what you say, _human_. At the end of the day I still rank higher than some human scum."

"Don't get too cocky, demon bitch. You aren't that high in Naraku's estimation." He flipped her off, turned, and strode down the hall, disappearing through one of the doorways lining it.

"Bastard." Kagura spat after him. She looked at Kagome who automatically took a step back at the raw hatred in her eyes. "Move, mortal."

Kagome bade a wistful farewell to getting some sleep anytime soon as Kagura took charge of the tour. She was stumbling in exhaustion by the time the grumpy demon came to a stop. She forced her bleary eyes to focus on the door in front of her.

"Oh no. I don't have to go through the slug room again, do I?"

Kagura gave her a disgusted look. "Just get moving, mortal. Naraku hates to be kept waiting." She flung open the door and all but pushed Kagome through it.

Kagome swayed for a minute as she looked around, trying to get her bearings. Which proved about as useful as last time. The room was pitch black except for the two lines of glowing things meandering across the floor.

Making up her mind that this was getting ridiculous, Kagome turned around right where she stood. She'd just go back through the door, find a room with a bed, and finally get some sleep. Naraku could just go fuck himself for all she cared.

She grabbed for the area she guessed the doorknob would be in. As usual, she couldn't see her own hand in front of her face, let alone something big like a door. Her fingers encountered something that tore when she reached through it. Disgusted, she pulled her hand back and shook it. Whatever it was, it was sticky and wouldn't come off. It took her several seconds to realize she could see the vague outline of her hand, because whatever was coating it was glowing. The glow wavered, but she figured it was just fatigue that was making it appear to move. The stuff was making her hand tickle, so she brought her hand closer to her face to better help her get the stuff off.

Tiny glowing spiders were crawling over her hand and up her arm.

Kagome screamed and jumped sideways. Something crunched under her foot. She looked down to see that the glowing lines weren't slugs, but millions of spiders. They skittered in two solid lines except where her foot had just crushed several. The spiders in that area milled in confusion, with some starting to climb over her shoe and head for her pant leg.

"EEEEEK!"

Quite wide awake now, she flung her arms out and gyrated wildly. In her state of panic, she stumbled over the border of the spider-defined path.

"Yeowch!" Kagome managed to scramble back onto the path as her skin started burning. She couldn't remember which way was forward. Spinning around again, she took a wild guess and bolted down the path.

_Please let this be right. Please let this be right. Please let—_Kagome's silent plea cut off as she ran full tilt into a wall. Alternately swearing and praying, she scrabbled at the hard surface, almost weeping in relief when she found a doorknob. At this point she didn't care where the door led as long as there was light and no spiders.

She burst through the door and slammed it shut behind her, puffing hard. A tiny spider on her shoe waved its front pair of legs at her, fell to the floor, and curled its legs in the classic pose of spider death. Several more spiders dropped from her clothes and her hair, twitched a couple of times, and expired.

"That wasn't very nice. These spiders can't live outside their special room."

Kagome jumped at the sound of Naraku's slightly amused voice. She looked up to see him sitting on his white marble throne. Briefly she wondered if he ever left it. No one else was present, not even the silent ghost girl Kanna.

"No need to linger in the doorway with the dead spiders, child." Naraku beckoned with one elegant hand. "You are invited, after all."

Taking a deep breath, Kagome raked her fingers through her hair, flinching as she dislodged disintegrating webs and spider corpses. She forced her shaking legs to walk the floor between the rows of glass-enclosed animals to the foot of the dais.

"I'd like to go home now," she stated firmly once she came to a stop. "It's been a lovely visit—" _not_ "—but I'd like to leave."

"And where might home be, lovely Kagome?" Naraku asked, a sharply interested tone in his voice. "In Japan? With your family? Or at the North Pole? With Inuyasha?"

Kagome swallowed as she realized that when she had said home she was thinking of cold snowy fields, her friends Kaede, Shippou, Sango, Miroku… And of a certain boy with a caustic temper to match her own and dog ears on the top of his head. "With my family, of course."

"Of course." Naraku abruptly arose from his throne and descended the dais. Kagome automatically backed up, watching him warily.

He smiled, plainly amused at her reaction. Kagome forced herself to stand still and not flinch when Naraku placed an arm around her shoulders. He started walking and, with his arm draped over her, Kagome was forced to come with him.

He led her to a blank wall and waved his hand at it. The wall turned transparent, like a window. It looked out onto a portion of the gardens. Several imps not unlike Jaken scurried over the ground, weeding, watering, and doing other garden-like chores. Kagome wondered why they were doing all that now, when the sun had set quite some time ago. The gardens were bathed in darkness, forcing the imps to work by torchlight.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Naraku said. Kagome nodded. "You know, Kaede and that half-breed Inuyasha could quite easily create the same wonders at the North Pole."

"Why don't they?" Kagome asked curiously. Who wouldn't want to live surrounded by lush gardens instead of in snow and darkness for most of the year?

"They're selfish, child."

Kagome jerked around to stare at Naraku, shrugging his arm off her shoulders. Selfish? Kaede had struck her as a kindly old woman with the best interests of her people at heart. And Inuyasha might be rather self-centered, but that wasn't the same thing as selfish.

"Indeed." Naraku nodded, staring out at the gardens rather than at Kagome. "They allow all that lovely wish magic to go to waste. People, children especially, create a magical reservoir with their deepest desires."

"Magical reservoir?" Kagome turned back to blankly watch the imps gather up their supplies and extinguish the torches, plunging the garden into night. Off to the right, a full moon was rising—a distant white-gold ball with a nimbus of rainbow color surrounding it.

"Normally the gathered power flows away like water down a drain, of no use to anyone. Kaede and her mongrels have learned how to turn wish magic into Christmas presents for the kiddies. But they could do so much more."

"So much more?" Kagome prompted when Naraku stopped talking. She still didn't trust him, but what he said made so much sense. Kaede had created so many wonders already. And rescued so many abandoned souls. Speaking of which…

"What about the children?" She interrupted before Naraku could answer her last question, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. "Kikyou said that you take in orphaned or abandoned children, that you care for them until you find a place where they'll be happy."

"Kikyou said that, did she?" Naraku's gaze turned speculative, though he still stared out the window. "Of course I do. They are a vital part of my—our—family. We give them a place to live… until it is time for them to go."

Kagome made a small sound of appreciation in the back of her throat. She fell silent for several minutes, watching the moon climb higher in the sky. The shifting rainbow lights surrounding it shivered, like oil on water. Her eyes traced the shadows littering the surface, trying to find the man in the moon. Once, a few years before Souta was born, her father convinced her that the moon was made of cheese and that the moon mice would slide down the moonbeams to dance on her bedroom floor after she was asleep. Try though she might, she had never been able to stay awake long enough to see one.

"Where are the children?" she asked abruptly. "I could hear them singing in the gardens, but I never saw any."

"The children are shy around strangers. And the gardens are vast. Come, child." He turned and strode back to his throne. Kagome, taken by surprise, automatically followed him. "It is late. Tomorrow will be a big day. You will need your rest."

"What's happening tomorrow?" She caught up with him at the throne, stopping dead at the sight of Kanna and Kagura waiting for them. She hadn't even heard them come in. "How--?"

"Kagura, take Kagome back to her room," Naraku ordered, sliding onto the red-padded seat and accepting the glass Kanna held out. "And, Kagura," he said as she started to leave, "remember that I am watching you."

Kagura glared at him, her lips white. She transferred that glare to Kagome and indicated with a jerk of her head that the girl should follow her. Kagome barely registered the glare, except to feel fleeting annoyance at the beautiful demoness's attitude. By now, the adrenalin from earlier had worn off and she was ready to fall down right where she stood. Briefly she considered it, but the thought of a cozy bed and snuggly pillows was enough to keep her on her feet.

The shock of a cool breeze slapping her in the face roused Kagome from the mindless haze of exhaustion she had fallen into while following Kagura. She looked around in surprise. They were back in the garden. Kagura turned left and began to follow the line of the castle.

"Where are you taking me?" Kagome demanded. "I'm tired and I want to sleep. I don't want to walk anymore."

"Be quiet, mortal." Kagura didn't slow her angry stride. Her back was stiff and straight, and she kept fingering the fan stuck in her sash. "The doors only open one way. To go back, one can only go forward. And every single door to the outside can only be reached from Naraku's throne room." Her voice dropped to a mutter that Kagome barely heard. "Twisted bastard. One day I'll be free."

Kagome had never been so glad to see anyplace as she was when Kagura all but shoved her through the door and into the same black and white room she had awakened in. The faint click of the door locking behind her was not nearly as riveting as the sight of the bed. Someone had been in the room since she had left. The bed had lost the rumpled look she had left it in, and one side of the covers had been turned down invitingly. A mug steamed on the bedside table, with a selection of sandwiches arranged on a small plate.

Ignoring the drink and the food, Kagome paused only long enough to kick off her shoes and peel off her pants before climbing into bed. She sighed as she sank into luxuriant softness, wiggling deeper into the mattress and pulling the covers up to her chin. Belatedly she noticed a red nightgown laid out across the foot of the bed, but was too tired to be bothered with changing.

_So tired._ Kagome yawned, unable to bring herself to be worried over all the recent upsets in her life at the moment. _Tomorrow's another day. I'll find a way home. I promise I'll find… _she yawned again …_Inuyasha._ Her thoughts petered out and she fell asleep.

* * *

Naraku let a smile curve his lips as he watched the mortal girl sleeping. Even as she slept he could sense the bright shine of her spirit.

"Enough, Kanna." His gaze shifted from the small mirror to the girl who held it. Her vacant eyes showed nothing, not even curiosity. What a useful find she had been--unquestioning, obedient—unlike certain others.

"Show me the half-breed," he instructed. The mirror's surface lit up like a small moon, colors shifting and changing until the vision solidified into a darkened sky full of drifting snowflakes. Inuyasha, long white hair flung out behind him and ears pinned back, bent over the neck of a young firecat who was gamely clawing through the snow-filled sky. Naraku felt satisfaction deep in the twisted black remnants of his soul. "Excellent. Everything is proceeding according to plan."

Kagura entered the room, her steps slow in a deliberate attempt to piss him off. _Disobedient bitch. _Naraku didn't let his contempt show on his face, keeping his expression bland and even. _Let her believe that her petty insolence goes unnoticed. She will learn her place soon enough. Her heart is mine._

"I did as ordered, Naraku." It didn't escape Naraku's attention that Kagura rarely called him "Master" or "Lord." "She sleeps."

"You did well, Kagura," –he paused—"this time. You may retire." Kagura glared at him, but fortunately for her, didn't say anything. She turned on her heel and marched out of the room.

"Now," Naraku peered into Kanna's mirror again, "it is time to welcome Kaede's mongrel to my domain." The scene within the mirror became thick with falling snow. Inuyasha and the firecat struggled with the increasingly rising winds until, finally, they were thrown from the sky and lost to view.

_

* * *

_

**Food for Thought:** Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?


	12. Jolly Old Saint Nicholas

_Yay! I wrote another chapter! Boo! Classes started this week! Enjoy the chapter! Savor it until I get a chance to write the next one!_

* * *

I don't own Inuyasha. Sole rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

HERE COMES SANTA CLAWS

Chapter 12: Jolly Old Saint Nicholas

A dark figure flitted through the darker shadows of the deserted hallway. Most of the torches had been extinguished, and the ones that remained were burning low as the long night started the inevitable march toward morning. Maybe the South Pole was the opposite of the North Pole, with eternal daylight now instead of darkness, but obviously Naraku had worked the same type of magic as Kaede had. The sun rose, the moon set, and set hours of daylight and darkness were observed.

The figure paused at each door, bending down to the crack between white-painted wood and marble hallway. He sniffed, trying to be quiet but sometimes having to fight coughs and gags as a less than hygienic smell invaded his sensitive nostrils. After a cursory examination, he would shake his head and bound to the next door. His sharp movements bespoke a quickly eroding store of patience.

"Stupid, stupid girl," Inuyasha chanted under his breath as he took a deep sniff of the 86th door, swallowing a sneeze as he inhaled a strong odor of rotten pineapples. "Can't turn my back on her for a second. First she gets herself captured, then I have to trek all the way to the South Pole to rescue her sorry ass and drag her back home. Mortal girls are idiots."

In a fit of anger, he skipped the next two doors altogether. Three doors later, he stopped, took a deep resigned breath, and doubled back to investigate those two doors. The first one carried the pungent aroma of moldy sweat socks mixed with rancid milk, but the other one hid a much more pleasant scent.

Inuyasha pressed his nose to the crack under the door as he caught a whiff of the sweet scent of vanilla and lavender, laced with just a touch of cinnamon. There was no doubt in his mind that what he sought lay on the other side, or had at least been there very recently. The weeks that Kagome had lived in the village had given Inuyasha plenty of opportunities to memorize her scent. It never failed to calm him down. He sighed, feeling a bit of the tension, resulting from having lost said girl, drain out of him.

As he gripped the doorknob in one clawed hand, a faint rhythmic thudding reached his sensitive ears. It sounded like footsteps. And they were getting closer. Inuyasha quickly opened the door just wide enough to slip inside and shut it as soon as he was in the room. Nobody barged in after him, so he figured that he had remained unseen.

It took several minutes for Inuyasha's eyes to adjust to the almost complete darkness of the room. He raked his eyes over the black and white décor, wrinkling his nose at the barely detectable odor of blood and despair that still clung to the furry pelts scattered around the room.

But the strongest scent, and the most pleasing, came from the large round bed.

Inuyasha padded over to the bed and studied the girl for a long moment. She slept with her arms thrown outward and her black hair fanned over the pillow in untidy tangles. An untouched plate of sandwiches and a beverage of some kind sat on the small nightstand.

Seizing Kagome's shoulder, he gave it a brief shake. "Wake up, little girl," he hissed. "It's time to go."

Kagome came awake with a yell that was instantly muffled by a clawed hand. Panicked and still mostly asleep, she did what any other girl would do.

Inuyasha yelped and jerked his hand away. "What'd you do that for?" He examined the slight indentations in his palm, courtesy of Kagome's teeth.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and stared at him as if he were a ghost. "What—How—When did you get here?"

He scowled at her. "I'm here to rescue you, of course! You might show a little gratitude!" He shook his hand. "What'd you have to bite me for?"

Kagome narrowed her eyes at him. "You deserved it, jerk! Waking me up like that!"

Cradling his hand like it was mortally wounded, Inuyasha refused to answer.

Sighing, Kagome held out her hand. "Let me see."

"Why? So you can bite me again?"

"Don't be silly. Give it to me."

"No." Inuyasha backed away from the bed. Truthfully, his hand didn't even hurt anymore. His pride was wounded more than anything else. He had fought bandits, demons, and demi-gods in his past with nary a scratch, yet a silly mortal girl was able to bite him.

"Inuyasha, stop being childish." Kagome pushed the covers away and climbed out of bed. "Let me see," she repeated, grabbing at his hand.

Inuyasha felt heat flooding his face as he noticed something that Kagome had apparently forgotten.

"What's wrong with you now?" Kagome stared at him, perplexed.

"Pants." Spinning away from the girl, he fought to control the blush in his cheeks and the temptation to run away and forget this whole stupid rescue mission idea. "Pants, now," he ground out between clenched teeth.

There was a muffled squeak behind him, followed by rustling cloth. "Don't you dare turn around!" Kagome's voice sounded strange, like she was trying to talk through a pile of blankets and an extra thick comforter.

"Why would I want to do that!?" His voice came out gruffer than he intended. "Nobody in their right mind wants to look at you!"

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than there was a firm yank on his hair. Hissing in anger, he whipped around to face Kagome. Unconsciously, his gaze flickered downwards and he saw with relief that she was now wearing pants. She didn't seem to notice or care. Her eyes snapped fire as she yanked on his hair again.

"Jerk!" she yelled with another vicious tug before releasing him. He stumbled back, rubbing his abused scalp.

With one last glower, she turned back to the nightstand and picked up the mug.

A faint scent reached his nose. Something smelled wrong. Inuyasha paused and took a deeper sniff. Abruptly he lunged for Kagome. "Stop!" he barked, smashing the mug from her hand. It hit the nightstand hard enough to crack where it teetered for a few seconds before rolling off onto the carpet, the last of its contents seeping into the plush white rug.

Kagome jumped as if he'd slapped her instead of the mug. "What'd you do that for?" Her anger, which had begun to cool somewhat, returned full force as she glared at the boy in front of her. "I haven't eaten anything since I left the North Pole. Instead, I've been grossed out by slugs and spiders, bossed around by a permanently pissed off demon bitch, and yelled at by a freaky woman with an ego the size of Tokyo! I'm hungry and thirsty and really not in the mood for any more of your crap!"

"Are you really that much of a moron?" Kagome sucked in her breath sharply at the insult. "I'm surprised the human race hasn't died out from gross stupidity!" Inuyasha plowed on, completely ignoring the girl's rising anger. He stabbed a clawed finger at the plate of sandwiches and the broken mug on the floor. "They're drugged, little girl. Eat one bite and you'd probably wake up in a nice little dungeon somewhere, if you woke up at all. Even a stupid human should know enough not to eat any food in the lair of the enemy!"

"Enemy? What enemy?" Kagome shouted back. "Naraku has been a perfect gentleman. You're the one who's insulted me and made it perfectly clear from the beginning that I'm useless and a complete waste of space!"

Grinding his teeth at the girl's obstinance, he let out a tiny growl. "Naraku is the enemy, little girl." The disbelief on Kagome's face didn't change. Inuyasha struggled to ignore the urge to throttle her. "He always has been. That's why we have the barrier. Why we don't leave unless we have to. And why the old hag has been training the shit out of you. It's all to keep the world safe from Naraku's evil."

Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at him. "You must have serious frostbite to the brain. Nobody's trained me to do anything, except to look at a big sparkly marble. Naraku was very nice to me, and he told me a thing or two."

Some people were really too stupid to live. Inuyasha fought to control himself. Kaede would strip him of his position as Santa Claus if he gave in to the desire to smother a certain irritating human. She'd probably make that mangy wolf her new apprentice. The thought was enough to enable him to rein in his anger.

"Look," he said in what he hoped was a reasonable tone, "we don't have time to stand here and argue. Kaede will explain everything once we're back home, okay?"

"Not my home," Kagome muttered sullenly.

"What are you complaining about now?"

"Nothing, furball."

"Fine. Let's get out of here, worthless."

Kagome glowered at him, but said nothing. That was fine with Inuyasha. If she thought she could irritate him with the silent treatment, then she was dead wrong. Frankly, a little peace and quiet from her incessant chatter would be welcome.

Pressing his ear to the door, he listened for signs of life on the other side.

Nothing.

Motioning for Kagome to follow him, he opened the door and stepped into the hallway. He turned to make sure that the girl was behind him and saw that she had a puzzled frown on her face.

He sighed. "What is it this time?"

Kagome evidently forgot that she wasn't speaking to him. "I could have sworn Kagura locked the door after she brought me back. Did you pick the lock or something?"

"No." His ears twitched nervously as he scanned the hallway in both directions. Who knew what might be roaming around at this hour? (Besides a mortal pain-in-the-neck and an increasingly short-tempered dog demon, of course). "It wasn't locked. You probably just imagined it. Come on."

"But—"

"Shut your yap and follow me." Fire leapt into Kagome's eyes and she sucked in a breath. Inuyasha slapped his hand over her mouth. "That means quietly, little girl," he hissed. "Unless you want to be caught and spend the rest of your very short life here."

Satisfied that he had bought a few more minutes of silence at least, Inuyasha started to retrace his steps. This place made his skin craw, and the constant buzzing in his ears wasn't helping.

Eighty-five, eighty-six, eighty-seven At the eighty-eighth door Inuyasha stopped, flipping his ears in annoyance as the girl walked into him. This was the door. Once they walked through this door, it would only be a short hike to their ride off this godforsaken continent. That is, if Kuroro had made it back to Kaede after they were separated by that freak blizzard to let everyone know what was going on.

He opened the door.

He swore. "—goddamned sonofabitch! What the Hell is going on!?"

Kagome tried to peer around him. "What? Is it the wrong door?"

"Shut up!" Inuyasha snapped. "I'm trying to concentrate." Kagome huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, a scowl on her face that could rival an ogre demon's. He ignored her and scowled at the perfectly normal door that led into a perfectly normal hallway, just like the one they were standing in. This wasn't right. The door should lead outside. It was the one he had entered the building through. Wasn't it?

"I know it was the eighty-eighth door," he muttered, mostly to himself. "I entered the building and turned left. Or was it right?" He shook his head, irritated. "No, I'm sure I turned right. Maybe I miscounted. Maybe it was the eighty-third door. Or the eighty-ninth."

Inuyasha looked up and down the hallway. All was quiet, but how long would it stay that way. Cursing under his breath, he turned away from the one door and yanked open the one beside it.

Another hallway.

Inuyasha swore loudly, and then winced as the sound echoed through the deserted hallway. Abandoning any plan he might have had, he started opening doors willy-nilly. After fruitlessly opening half a dozen doors, each leading into another identical hallway, he stomped back to where Kagome was still standing.

"I could have told you this wouldn't work," Kagome said. Her too-sweet, overly reasonable voice snapped his last nerve and he rounded on her.

"I am a demon," he snarled. "And I'm Santa Claus. What could a silly mortal weakling with the lifespan of a sea slug know that I wouldn't?"

"To get outside we must go inside."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha asked, completely baffled. He twitched an ear, catching a very faint tap of approaching footsteps. They had, at the most, twenty minutes before whatever demon was coming stumbled across them. "You're cracked, little girl. And if you don't hurry up and spill your guts we're going to have company."

Kagome looked worried at that and glanced around the hall as if the approaching demon was going to appear out of thin air. "It's what Kagura told me. The only way to get to the outside is through Naraku's throne room. All other doors just lead to other parts of the building."

"Just fucking great!" He didn't want to believe her, but this was the kind of warped idea that would fit Naraku's egocentric personality. "Fine then! Which way to Naraku's throne room?"

Kagome shrugged. "I don't have a clue. Kagura led me down so many hallways, and they all look exactly alike."

"You don't know?" Inuyasha ground out between clenched teeth. "Fat lot of good it'll do me if I can't even find Naraku's throne room! Any other useless ideas?"

"You're the all powerful demon! Use that super sniffer of yours to find him."

"That would be a totally brilliant idea," he spat out sarcastically, "except for one thing. Naraku knows how to hide his scent. It's basic apprentice stuff."

Kagome opened her mouth, to possibly come back with another clever retort, but Inuyasha lunged for her and clapped a hand over her mouth. His ears twitched. The approaching footsteps sounded louder, probably only a few minutes away. Had they really stood arguing in the enemy's lair for that long? It couldn't have been more than a five or ten minutes. He hesitated, but an oddly shaped shadow slipping around the curve of the hallway decided him. Shifting his grip on the squirming girl to something more secure, he yanked open the nearest door and darted into new hallway.

"Let go of me!" Kagome snapped, tugging futilely against his hold. Inuyasha complied. The girl staggered into the wall as she was abruptly released. She opened her mouth, but Inuyasha glared at her so furiously that she shut it again. Footsteps sounded in the hallway they had just left, pausing for several agonizing seconds right outside the door, before continuing on and fading into the distance.

"Come on," Inuyasha ordered. "We need to find Naraku's throne room so we can get off this godforsaken continent."

"How are we going to do that? We don't even know where he is. And you said he can disguise his scent. And what do you mean, 'It's basic apprentice stuff'?"

"Will you shut up for two fucking seconds!" Inuyasha was surprised when she obeyed immediately. He took a closer look at her, suddenly noticing the grayish pallor to her skin and the bruised circles under her eyes. There was a subtle pinched look to her face and she kept rubbing her hands over her arms as if she was cold.

He reached into an inner pocket of his jacket and thrust a slightly squashed package under Kagome's nose. "Here."

"What's this?" She accepted the paper-wrapped item, which smelled strongly of bologna and spicy mustard. Gingerly unwrapping it, she found a bologna sandwich on rye bread with mustard and two thin slices of yellow cheese. "A sandwich, Inuyasha?"

"I forgot I had it, okay?" He guiltily examined the claws on his right hand as she looked up at him in surprise and gratitude. "You said you were hungry. Just eat it already."

"This is so good!" Kagome ate up every crumb, not quite licking the paper wrapping. "Usually I don't even like bologna, but this is really good."

"That better last you a while. I don't have anymore until we get outside to where I stashed the supplies."

"You. Brought supplies. Isn't that a little too much like planning ahead, Inuyasha."

"Oi!" Inuyasha flattened his ears in annoyance. How could one insignificant little human manage to be so completely irritating. And so completely right. He hadn't planned on bringing any supplies. And he knew, from having been around them for centuries, humans had a distressing need to eat several times a day.

"Sango and Miroku packed the supplies," he muttered and grabbed her arm. "Let's get out of here before something else comes along."

"Where are we going?" Kagome crumpled up the wrapper and shoved it into her pants pocket, complacently allowing Inuyasha to drag her after him now that she was no longer quite so hungry. "I really don't remember how to get to Naraku's throne room."

"I know that. Just shut up so I can think." Kagome huffed in annoyance, but he ignored her. _Where are we going? Where are we going? I don't have a freaking clue. Maybe I can bash through a wall or something. I can't afford to run into anyone down here, especially—_

The quick pattering of footsteps reached his sensitive ears. _Shit!_ They were getting closer. Not having a whole lot of options, Inuyasha chose the nearest door and hustled them both through it, ignoring Kagome's startled exclamation. Motioning irritable for the girl to be quiet, he released her arm and pressed his ear to the rough wood of the door. Five nervous breaths later he caught the faint sound of hurrying feet heading away from them.

"Um, Inuyasha?"

"What is it now?" Inuyasha turned around, prepared for another endlessly boring hallway just like all the others they had passed through.

It wasn't.

"Bloody shit!"

Inuyasha's voice bounced off the dingy gray walls of the enormous circular room, bare of any furnishings except for a towering block-shaped object in the exact center. A dirty sheet that may have once been white covered it, preventing him from seeing what was inside. Bunches of wilted flowers--chrysanthemums, pincushion flowers, and daisies among them—lay in sad heaps against the base. To one side, and not quite touching, was a pile of dirty rags. Bits of smashed crockery lined the floor against the wall, continuing around the room in an unbroken line except where the opening of the door had pushed pieces out of alignment.

There were no windows. No other doors. No escape.

Kagome shrieked as the pile of dirty rags heaved and disgorged a squat, vaguely toad-like demon. It rushed at them. Inuyasha prepared to fight, but the creature ignored them both. Instead, it fell on its knees by the door and began picking up the pieces of crockery that had been pushed aside. Making a low moaning sound, it cradled each piece in its stubby hands, stroking them before laying them reverently back in line with the rest of the shards.

"Mean," it crooned. "Disgusting abomination. In Jaken's room. Touching Jaken's stuff. Lord wouldn't like it. No, no. Filthy half-breed must go."

"Hey!" Inuyasha grabbed at the little demon, but Jaken scurried out of reach with surprising agility. "Who are you calling an abomination?"

"Wait, Inuyasha! Don't hurt him! He's mad but harmless." Kagome peered at the demon, which had retreated to his nest of rags. "I think."

"Feh! You're just another soft-hearted wench," Inuyasha scoffed, but he didn't pursue the sad little creature.

Jaken huddled on the dirty rags, skinny arms wrapped around his legs. "Abomination's in trouble," he chanted, rocking back and forth. "Lord would smile, yes he would!"

Kagome started to approach Jaken. He stopped chanting, but began to hum tunelessly. All without taking his overlarge, buggy eyes off of her. Inuyasha grabbed her by the arm and shoved her behind him.

"Are you crazy?" he hissed. He pointed at Jaken. "That thing is completely bonkers! It would tear your throat out as soon as you got close enough! And you want to make friends with it?"

"Jaken does not make friends with half-breeds or human witches! Was great demon once! Lord feared by all! Lord not tolerate half-breed mistakes!"

"I talked to Naraku," Kagome said, confused by Jaken's rambling speech. "He didn't say anything against half-breeds. He said that lots of half demons live at the South Pole."

Jaken suddenly stood up, trembling with two and a half feet of fury. He pointed a knobby green finger at Kagome, ignoring Inuyasha's growl of warning. "Naraku is not Jaken's Lord! Lord was great! Lowly human cattle should not gaze upon Lord's perfection! Dirty abomination mouth should not defile Lord's name with the speaking of it!"

"Who's your Lord?" Inuyasha sneered. "The Easter Bunny?" _Stupid excuse for a demon. Shippou could take him. I don't know why Naraku keeps him around. His babbling would drive me insane within a week!_ He glanced at Kagome and gritted his teeth. _Stupid girl. I _know _that look! There is no way in Hell I am dragging this demon's loony carcass all the way to the North Pole._

Jaken was now so mad that he was hopping from foot to foot. "Lord was great demon lord! Jaken was right hand demon! Stupid, filthy mongrel! Lord fix you good!" And he turned around and ripped the sheet off of the block-shaped object.

Inuyasha felt his mouth drop open. _Holy--_

The clear glass enclosure encased a gigantic white dog with long ears and a crescent-shaped mark on its forehead. Its face was locked into a snarl of pure rage, but the eyes glittered with a blank stare from which all the life had been leached.

Kagome prodded his arm. "What's gotten into you, Inuyasha? You look like you've seen the Ghost of Christmas Past. Inuyasha?"

"It's my brother." Inuyasha couldn't stop staring. Jaken leaned against the cage, crooning and stroking the glass.

"Your brother?" Kagome's voice broke into his jumbled thoughts. "Your brother looks like a giant white dog. How is that possible?"

He shot her a look of disgust. "Half-brother. Sesshoumaru was a full demon. We had the same father, but that's all we had in common." Unwillingly, his eyes were drawn back to the frozen form of one of his greatest tormentors. His brother had always seemed so eternal and undefeatable; no matter how often Inuyasha tried to bring him down himself. To see Sesshoumaru like this was disturbing.

"Is he _dead_?" Kagome's voice squeaked on the last word.

"Yeah."

"Oh, Inuyasha. I'm so sorry." He glanced at the girl to see that she had her hands over her mouth and her big brown eyes had filled with tears.

"Oi, wench, stop crying!" Tears made him uncomfortable; he couldn't control them. As much as he hated to admit it, Kagome's tears made him feel uneasy and willing to do anything to stop them. "It's not like we were ever close. He tried to kill me every time we ran into each other."

"That's horrible!" The mortal girl's voice dripped with sympathy. "No wonder you're such a prickly jerk."

"Hey—"

"Shut up!" Jaken stopped stroking the glass and began jumping up and down again. "Lord will kill filthy mongrel! Yes! Lord tear abomination and human cow to bloody bits. Then Jaken be rewarded! Jaken is good servant!"

Both Kagome and Inuyasha stared at the little demon. "You did know that Sesshoumaru is dead, didn't you?" Inuyasha asked.

"You dare to defile--" Jaken yelped as Inuyasha stepped forward and slammed his fist into the toad-demon's face. He crashed into the glass cage, looking dazed.

"Crazy demon," Inuyasha growled.

"Inuyasha—"

Kagome's tone was faintly reproving, but he didn't have time for soft-hearted female whining. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her after him to the door. His sharp ears didn't catch any hint of footsteps, and he could only hope that the ranting of a certain crazy green demon had gone unnoticed. "Let's find Naraku's throne room and get out of this Hellhole!"

"You'll never find it on your own."

Against his will, Inuyasha stopped and looked over his shoulder. Jaken had climbed unsteadily to his feet, looking remarkably lucid for the first time since they had entered the room. He tottered over to his pile of rags, selected one, and started polishing the glass where he had been thrown. Inuyasha held his tongue for once. Something smelled odd.

"Throne room moves randomly." Jaken studied the glass for a moment before giving it a few more swipes with his rag. Straightening, he looked over his shoulder at them and stretched his mouth in a grin that was neither reassuring nor happy. "Stupid half-breed never make it through maze of miasma that surrounds throne room. But Jaken knows way. See? Jaken is crazy. Jaken is harmless. But Jaken does not forget. No. Dark Lord will pay and Jaken will dance happy-dance on dismembered corpse." The little demon finished his speech with a high-pitched giggle.

Swallowing several things he would have like to say but that would have probably pushed Jaken over the razor-thin edge of sanity, Inuyasha settled for glaring at the toad-demon. "Fine. If you can get us out of here in one piece, you'll get your revenge."

Jaken giggled again, dropped the rag he was using, and scurried back to his nest. After rummaging around for a bit, he fished out an odd-looking disk with a hole punched in one end and a dirty string threaded through it. This he slipped over his head, carefully tucking the disk out of sight under his clothes. "This way," he hissed, opening the door and scuttling into the hallway before anyone could stop him.

Inuyasha took a deep breath and nodded to Kagome, who looked like she was having second or third thoughts about trusting the mad demon. "Let's go."

_

* * *

To be continued…_

_The next chapter will come. Sooner or later!_

**Phobia of the Week:** Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia- Fear of long words

_You'd think that would be a shorter word, wouldn't you?_


	13. Deck the Halls

_I know it has been a long time, but here's another chapter! Things aren't really looking up, except that I am finished with school. Now comes the hard part. Finding a job._

_The story is still moving along. It's headed off in a couple of different directions because I can't remember what I originally intended. But it's all good. I think things will still work out more or less the way originally planned._

_Enjoy!_

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Sole rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

HERE COMES SANTA CLAWS

Chapter 13: Deck the Halls

^**^

Kagome followed Inuyasha who followed the mad demon as he scuttled down random halls humming tunelessly to himself. Inuyasha had his arms crossed and, though Kagome couldn't see his face, from the set of his ears she could guess that he had a humongous scowl on his face. What was his problem, anyway? Wasn't Santa Claus supposed to be jolly? She couldn't imagine the grumpy half-demon sitting on a padded chair at the mall listening to kids talk about their Christmas lists.

Quickening her pace, she caught up to Inuyasha. He flicked her an annoyed glance, but didn't say anything. "Um, Inuyasha?" she whispered.

There was no reply, or indication that he had heard. She raised her voice a little louder. "Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha stopped so abruptly that Kagome almost tripped over her own feet trying to stop. "What is it, little girl?" he hissed. "Are you trying to get us caught? This place is filled with demons. All with ears sharp enough to hear a fly sneeze in the next room, not to mention your incessant chatter. Can't you just shut up for five minutes until we're out of this palace of death?"

Kagome felt like she'd been slapped. She drew in a breath to yell back, but paused. As much as she hated to admit that Inuyasha might be right about anything, he did have a point.

"Fine." She sniffed and turned away. "I won't talk to you anymore."

He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "Yeah, and reindeer can fly." She chose to ignore that.

Jaken was almost out of sight, toddling along quite fast for such a dumpy demon. "Come on." Inuyasha grabbed her arm and started walking again. "The crazy demon may actually know a way out of here. Or he's leading us into a trap. Either way, we can't be any more screwed than we are right now."

Several times, Kagome almost said something just to break the tension-filled silence. Then she remembered that she wasn't talking to Inuyasha. He made her so mad! Telling her what to do and acting like a total asshole. Naraku had been perfectly pleasant to her. Well, the walk through the spider-filled room and the weird woman in the garden had creeped her out. And she didn't want to be here. And Mama must be worried about her. Still, Inuyasha didn't have to be such a jerk.

Jaken abruptly stopped in front of one of the many doors. Kagome wondered what made this one so special. Did they give off some sort of scent that only demons could smell? Was there a subtle difference that only demon eyes could see? A glance at Inuyasha's face let her know that he didn't notice anything different about this particular door.

"This the one?" Inuyasha continued without waiting for an answer. "Finally? Let's get out of this Hellhole."

"You'll be so~rry."

Inuyasha paused with his hand centimeters away from the doorknob, turning to look at the little toad demon who was grinning in a mad way and clutching his silver disk to his chest. "Is it booby-trapped?" he ground out between clenched teeth. All of these delays were making him increasingly twitchy.

"Only need the key," Jaken sang out, holding up the disk. "Otherwise—ppffft—intruder is vaporized. Jaken knows." The little demon nodded his head vigorously. "Jaken saw it happen with own eyes. Stupid demon melted into puddle of goo. But key keeps Jaken safe. Lord said so."

"Kagura didn't have a key," Kagome pointed out. "Neither did I."

The toad's face twisted. He shook the disk. "Jaken has key! Jaken special! Only special demons can enter throne room! Lord said so!" He was almost frothing at the mouth. Abruptly his manner changed. Cradling the disk against his chest with both hands, he smiled slyly. "If human cow and abomination not want Jaken's help, that okay. Jaken not mind dancing as human cow and abomination melt into goo."

"Fine." Inuyasha stepped back. His gaze was calculating as he stared at the little demon. "Open the door."

Jaken reached up and hung the disk over the doorknob by its string. He started tapping on the door in random patterns, muttering disjointed phrases and nonsense. "All around the mulberry bush. Tap, tap, tap says the woodpecker. Boom. Boom, boom chicka boom. Icka backa soda cracka. Icka backa boo. Eeny. Meeny. Miny. Moe!" On the last word he grasped the knob firmly and gave it a twist. The door swung open to reveal another pitch-black room.

Inuyasha flung himself backwards, grabbing Kagome on the way and holding his sleeve over his nose. "Miasma!" he hissed.

"Ow!" Kagome jerked her arm free. "What is wrong with you? Why do people keep grabbing me?" She took a step forward, only to be brought up short when Inuyasha grabbed her wrist.

"You have got to be the dumbest mortal on the planet!" He yanked her back across the hall, as far as they could get from the open door without dissolving through the wall behind them. Jaken fixed them both with a quizzical look as he retrieved the disk. "Naraku has filled that room with miasma. Even around the safe zone that has been created I can tell. Come into contact with it and you _will_ melt into a puddle of goo."

"I've already been through two of these rooms. And, as you can see, I am completely unmelted!"

"That's because Naraku was expecting you!"

"Of course he was expecting me! He invited me!"

"Will you get it through your thick human skull that Naraku is not a nice person? A nice person does not make people he invited walk through rooms of miasma!"

Kagome looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, the slugs were gross. And the spiders nearly gave me heart failure." She glared at Inuyasha again. "But that doesn't mean that Naraku isn't doing the best he can with what he has."

Inuyasha looked like he wanted to strangle her. "Listen here, you little—"

"Will human cow and abomination be done arguing soon?" Jaken interrupted. "Jaken has better things to do. Yes, yes he does. Plans to make, revenge to take."

"I am not a cow!" Kagome shrieked. Her voice echoed down the hall, splintering into mocking fragments.

"Cow. Cow. Cow," they chanted.

"Oops," she whispered, glancing apprehensively up and down the hall. "Do you think anybody heard that?"

"Nice going, idiot." Inuyasha dropped Kagome's wrist and strained his ears, listening for anything coming their way. A door opened and slammed shut somewhere to the right of them. The angry shout of a demon sounded to their left. There was only one way to go.

"Move!" Inuyasha pitched Jaken through the doorway, ignoring the little demon's sudden squall of outrage and fear. Grabbing Kagome by the hand, he pulled her into the room after him and shut the door.

Kagome blinked in the sudden darkness. Faint glowing lines marked out the path, though the glow was fainter than it had been the other two times. One of the glowing creatures stopped and waved its antennae at her. She bit back a scream.

"Cockroaches. I hate cockroaches."

Finished listening at the door, Inuyasha walked over to where Jaken cowered on the floor. He prodded the little demon with one foot.

"Get moving, demon. Unless you want to stay here and let _them_ find you. They won't be happy. Especially since it's me that you've led this far."

Jaken whimpered and dragged himself to his feet. Clutching his disk like a precious talisman, he crept down the path, staying well within the limits marked out by the glowing insects.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome groped a hand out in front of her. "Where are you? I can't see a thing."

Clawed fingers closed over her own. "There's nothing to see. Stay close. My demon eyes can see better than yours. I won't let you get lost."

Kagome felt oddly reassured by Inuyasha's grip on her hand. Willingly, she let him lead her on. Jaken scuttled ahead of them, muttering to himself. The blackness felt suffocating, like there was something pressing down on her. It was getting harder to breathe. How big was this room, anyway? It felt like they had been walking forever.

Wait. Large gaps were appearing in the line of cockroaches. Kagome blinked, trying to force her bleary eyes to focus.

Their path of safety was disappearing.

"Damn!" Inuyasha growled and let go of her hand. Alarmed, Kagome tried to snatch it back. There was a rustle of cloth and something was draped over her head and shoulders.

"Inuyasha?" By smell and touch, Kagome could tell that it was the half-demon's haori covering her. "What's going on?"

"Don't worry." Inuyasha took her hand again. "The safety zone is fading. We can just hope that it is natural, and not that Naraku knows we are here. The miasma is seeping in." Kagome tightened her hold on Inuyasha's hand.

"Don't worry," he repeated. "My haori is made from the fur of the fire rat. It will protect you from the poison. Hold the cloth over your face when you breathe. That should filter out most of the fumes."

"Most?" Kagome squeaked. "I don't want to die, Inuyasha."

"You won't."

Kagome tried not to hyperventilate, trusting in Inuyasha to keep her safe. This brought back all the fears she'd had when she was little, and why she'd slept with a nightlite for so long. Faint whispers scratched at the edges of her hearing, promising her anything she could want if she'd just stop fighting. Darker shadows swirled across her vision, bringing all her childhood monsters to life.

She almost jumped out of her skin when Inuyasha abruptly stopped. "Well, we've reached the other side," he said. "Now to find the door." He felt around until he found the knob, jiggled it. "It's locked. Any ideas, demon?"

Jaken moaned, clutching his skinny green arms across his chest. "All around me. They are, they are. Poison darts to eat their hearts. Poison words bend and squirm." He started rocking back and forth, humming frantically or crooning strange words. "Little voices cry. Little bodies break. All will fall. All will fall!" His voice rose to a wail. "He's coming! Get out! Get out! Get _out!_"

"I don't have time for this. Stand back." Dropping her hand, Inuyasha rammed his shoulder into the door. It shook but held. He backed up a few paces and charged again. Cracking sounds came from the door. Jaken groaned, but at least he was quiet again.

"One more time." Inuyasha slammed into the door. With a sound of breaking wood, the door fractured into large chunks.

Kagome hurtled through after him, nearly sobbing with relief to get away from the grasping shadows of her past. Miasma spilled through the break. Strong arms grabbed her, and she found herself almost flying through the air.

Inuyasha deposited her on the ground near Naraku's throne. He let Jaken fall with a harsher bump. The little demon didn't seem to even see them anymore. He crouched where Inuyasha had dropped him. His silver disk had been twisted and half melted beyond recognition. Miasma continued to seep through the break, radiating a dark glow that Kagome found almost painful to look at for long.

"That wasn't very nice, Inuyasha."

Kagome turned to see Naraku standing over by the far left-hand wall. Kagura and Kanna flanked him on either side. The bitchy wind demon tapped her fan against her palm, staring at Inuyasha with a look of anticipation. The child-like demon showed no emotion at all, her blank stare fixed on the trio huddled by the throne. Naraku looked more amused than anything else.

A single door on the opposite side stood open. Butterflies danced by lazily on the breeze and the heady aroma of cherry blossoms drifted into the room.

Inuyasha didn't even seem to notice.

"Naraku." Kagome was standing so close to Inuyasha that she could feel his muscles bunch. He showed his fangs, radiating fury like she had never sensed before.

"Now I'll have to get the door repaired," Naraku continued. "I should send Kaede the bill."

"Don't you dare even think about talking to Kaede!" Inuyasha snarled. "Not after what you did! Where is she?"

Naraku sighed. "Always so impatient, Inuyasha. _She_ is holding the boundaries, doing what your Kaede had called impossible. You really should see her garden. It's quite lovely."

He transferred his gaze to Kagome. She squeaked and tried to hide behind Inuyasha. "Ah, Kagome," he said. "I trust you slept well, child."

"Fine, thanks." Kagome couldn't quite hide the quaver in her voice. She still didn't think there was any reason for Inuyasha's hatred, but Naraku's presence made her uneasy.

"Is this any way to repay my hospitality, child?" he chided. "Young people today. No manners at all." He sighed, looking a bit put out. "I must insist that you stay. This is no weather to be traveling in, and we haven't finished our talk. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for your companion. I'm afraid he'll have to leave. Kagura, please show our unwanted guest to the door."

Kagura snapped open her fan and sliced it through the air in front of her. "Dance of Winds!"

Inuyasha cursed and dove to the side, away from Kagome and the cowering Jaken. He gave her a shove, sending her stumbling to her knees behind the throne. Gale force winds whipped through the place where they had been standing. Kagome was partially protected by the throne's bulk, but the winds picked up Jaken like a flea and flung him against the wall on the other side of the room. He slid to the floor and lay there without moving. Kagome couldn't tell if he still breathed or not.

Peeking from behind her shelter, Kagome could see Inuyasha bouncing off the floor, walls, and ceiling, trying to get closer to Naraku. Kagura swished her fan, sending blades of wind to blast him away each time. Display cases shattered as the winds sliced through them. Naraku hadn't moved at all. He wasn't paying attention to the enraged half demon at all. Instead, he was looking right at Kagome. It was almost as if he expected her to do something.

"Inuyasha can't keep this up for long," Kagome muttered to herself. His leaps weren't as high as they had been a few seconds ago. When he paused, Kagome could see that thin red lines were appearing on his face and hands.

Shards of glass littered the floor all around the throne. Some were no bigger than a grain of sand, others about the length of her leg. Kagome scrabbled among the shards, wincing as she cut her hands, until she found one about the length of her forearm. It fit comfortably in her hand, the edges dulled by the force that had splintered it away from the case. One end was pointy and still quite sharp, though. It nicked her palm as she picked it up.

All she needed to do was distract Kagura. Then, she and Inuyasha might be able to get away. Naraku had looked away to watch the battle. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out from behind the throne.

"Run, Inuyasha!" she screamed. She threw the shard.

The shard started to glow even before it left her hand. It zinged toward the demoness as if guided, going faster and with more force than Kagome had actually put into it. Kagura saw it coming and twisted at the last second. She fell to the floor with a curse that made Kagome's ears burn. The shard cut a narrow furrow in Kagura's arm before burying itself in the wall behind her.

Naraku glanced thoughtfully at the fallen wind demon, then turned to look at Kagome. "Interesting."

Inuyasha crouched on the floor, exhausted and bleeding. The expression on his face, as he looked at Kagome, was unreadable.

Kagome flinched under the weight of all the stares. Even Kanna was watching her, as if wondering what she would do next.

Naraku finally broke the silence that had descended upon the room. "You always did manage to attract certain girls, Inuyasha. Be careful. Or the cycle will repeat."

"Bastard," Inuyasha panted. He backed up, one slow step at a time, until he had reached Kagome. Naraku made no move to stop him. "Stay away from Kagome. We're ready for you this time."

"Stubborn fool. You've already lost."

There was no signal, but Kanna took one step forward and lifted her mirror. At first Kagome thought that it was light reflected from the bright surface. It took several heartbeats before she realized that the mirror itself was starting to glow. A hidden memory drifted to the front of Kagome's mind.

A glowing mirror.

A solemn child.

Unbelievable pain, and then…

Inuyasha grabbed Kagome around the waist and sprinted for the open door. Her thoughts scattered again as she grabbed onto the half demon.

"Don't look back!" Inuyasha yelled. He bounded out into the garden with Kagome clutched tight in his arms.

Behind them, Naraku began to laugh.

It seemed like Inuyasha was never going to stop, that he was going to run all the way back to the North Pole. Kagome could do nothing but hang on. She was afraid that one wrong move would cause Inuyasha to drop her. He bounded through trees as much as along the ground, and the ground was sometimes quite far away.

Kagome managed to get one hand wrapped around a lock of hair. She gave a tug. "Put me down, you idiot! All this bouncing around is making me sick."

Inuyasha stopped abruptly, tumbling Kagome to the ground. He glared at her suspiciously. "You're not gonna throw up, are you?"

"You're worse than a plane in turbulence," she shot back. Taking several deep breaths of cherry-scented air did wonders for her queasy stomach. "Where are we, anyway?"

"Don't know." Inuyasha crossed his arms and directed his scowl at the trees, plants, and innocent butterflies instead. "We're not in the palace anymore. That's all that matters." He waved a hand in front of his face, trying to shoo away an overly inquisitive butterfly.

There was something familiar about this particular spot. It nagged at the edges of her memory. Where had she seen that particular dwarf pine before? Kagome shook her head. Trying to remember was giving her a headache. She switched her attention to Inuyasha instead. It was then that she noticed the multitude of cuts lacing his hands and face, some still oozing bright red blood.

She scrambled to her feet. "Inuyasha! You're bleeding."

He looked at one hand, studying it thoughtfully. "You're right. I guess that's what happens when you fight with a demon bitch that can turn the wind into razor-sharp knives."

"Come here." Kagome sighed in exasperation, and a little bit of worry, as she grabbed Inuyasha's hand and pulled it towards her. Frowning, she dabbed at the bleeding cuts with her sleeve. "Where's a first aid kit when you need one?"

Inuyasha had gone rigid when she grabbed him. He tried to pull out of her grip. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You're bleeding. And your voice sounds funny. Do they hurt?" Kagome looked up. She saw a strange look in Inuyasha's golden eyes before he turned away.

"I'm fine," he repeated. "We'd better go."

"Be that way," she huffed. "Where do you suggest we go? If you haven't noticed, we're at the South Pole. There's a lot of land and water between here and the North Pole. And a lot of it is covered in snow. Did I ever tell you how much I hate snow?"

"Only about a million times." He finally looked back at her, frustration in his eyes. "Naraku may be your hero, but this place he created is unnatural. There are things out there a lot worse than you could ever dream of, little girl. Kuroro will come back, or she'll send help. I'm sure she survived the blizzard."

"Nobody knows where we are?" Kagome's voice rose an octave. As warm as her winter clothing was, she didn't think it would keep out the Antarctic cold for long. And her coat was still back in her room. "We have no food! No supplies! How are we—"

"Quiet!" Inuyasha snapped. Startled, Kagome obeyed him. He stood very still, except for the flicking of his ears. A warm wind brushed through the trees, shaking cherry blossoms loose to twirl around them. The branches whispered together, sending even more blossoms spiraling down.

Inuyasha stared at a row of Senryo bushes, their yellowish-green flowers shivering in the breeze, then he switched his attention to the trees. Visions of marauding ladybugs and blood-sucking butterflies flitted through Kagome's head as she followed his gaze. She'd already seen so much that she never knew existed so far that anything seemed possible.

"Come out of there, you little brat!" Inuyasha shouted. "I know you're there!"

Kagome blinked twice as the branches rustled more violently and a small child who couldn't have been more than eight slid down the trunk to stare suspiciously at the two of them. The child was wearing a thin tunic of what looked like undyed cotton, with matching trousers that were a couple of inches too short. Bare, dirty feet scuffed at the ground. The hair, though clean, had been raggedly hacked off just above the shoulders and looked like it hadn't seen a comb in weeks.

"It's a kid," she said in surprise. "He must have been one of the ones I heard singing yesterday."

"What's your name, kid?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome looked at the half demon. His voice had softened to a tone she hadn't believed him capable of. He sounded almost… nice.

The child stared at them for what felt like a long time, idly rubbing one bare foot against the other ankle. Obviously, the kid didn't feel like talking to them.

"What a cute little boy!" Kagome exclaimed when the silence had stretched on for longer than felt comfortable. "He must be one of the orphan children Naraku told me about."

The child looked irritated. "I'm not a boy, lady, I'm a girl." She then ignored Kagome in favor of studying Inuyasha. "My name's Haru. Are you Inuyasha? Miss Kikyo told us stories about the Dog Demon from the North. You don't look as stupid as she said you were. Have you come to take us home now?"

Inuyasha had gotten a funny look on his face. "Kikyo's here?"

"Who exactly is Kikyo?" Kagome asked, a little louder than she had intended. She was getting tired of being ignored. "She said that she knew you when I met her yesterday."

"Why don't you tell your little human everything, Inuyasha." Kagome flinched at the pure venom in her voice as Kikyo stepped out from behind a clump of Senryo bushes, a quiver of arrows slung across her back and a simple wooden bow in her hand.

"Kikyo."

Kagome looked sharply at Inuyasha. She'd never heard him sound like that before, either. Sad and hopeful at the same time. _He never looks at me like that! _she thought resentfully. She felt her face heat up when she realized where her thoughts were going. _Not that I want him to! Inuyasha is rude, violent, and a jerk! I don't even like him! Although—_

She shook her head, trying to rid it of such disturbing thoughts. But even more disturbing, were the memories of Inuyasha being nice to the orphan children at the North Pole and coming to the South Pole to rescue her when he had made it clear that he didn't even like her.

In one smooth move, Kikyo nocked an arrow and aimed it at Inuyasha. "Leave now, Inuyasha. You are not welcome here. Haru, go back to the other children."

"I don't want to, Miss Kikyo," Haru whined. She latched onto Kagome's hand. "Take me with you, lady! I'll be good!"

"It's not safe, Haru." Kikyo's voice was like steel. "Go inside. I'll tell you a story later."

Haru clung tighter to Kagome's hand. "Don't make me stay here! I've already been here too long!"

Inuyasha hadn't moved since Kikyo appeared, but now he seemed to shake off his paralysis. He smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "The kid doesn't want to stay." He looked over his shoulder. "Kagome, take the kid and start walking north. I'll catch up with you shortly."

"Okay." Keeping a wary eye on Kikyo and the pointy weapon in her hand, Kagome started to edge around them. Then, she stopped. "Um, Inuyasha, which way's north?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Moron." He pointed at a slight angle to the direction they had been traveling in. "Just keep going that way, but don't cross the barrier until I catch up."

"Right." Kagome started walking in the direction indicated. Haru hadn't let go of her hand yet and was following so closely that Kagome had to be careful not to trip over her. She expected Kikyo to stop them, to perhaps shoot them with that very sharp-looking arrow. Her shoulders prickled until there were several trees between them. She heard Inuyasha say something, but couldn't make out the words. Squashing her curiosity that demanded she try to eavesdrop, she listened to Inuyasha for once and kept walking.

Haru was even more nervous than her, and kept looking around as if expecting someone to jump out of the trees and drag her back to wherever she'd come from. As the minutes ticked by with no signs of pursuit, she relaxed.

"Did you really mean it, lady," Haru asked, looking up into Kagome's face. "Will you and Inuyasha really take me away from here."

"Of course, Haru." Kagome smiled and squeezed Haru's hand. "And my name's Kagome."

"Kagome," Haru said, as if trying out the word. Then, she nodded. "I like it."

"Good. So do I."

^**^

Naraku surveyed the damage done to his throne room. Shards of glass littered the floor and his prize trophies had been torn to shreds. The only thing that had escaped the devastation was his throne. Flicking away a few particles of glass, he sat down.

A door opened into the room and a small army of little green demons scurried inside. They immediately began to clean up the glass and carry away the trophies to see if they could be repaired. One of the little demons scuttled up to him, carrying a goblet filled with thick, red liquid. He accepted it lazily and the demon hurried away.

Another figure entered the room. Naraku ignored him for the moment. Kanna ghosted to his side, where she should be. Kagura took her time, picking herself up off the floor and straightening her clothes. If she'd had a comb she probably would have fixed her hair, anything to delay and try to annoy him.

Two of the little demons brought the cowering Jaken forward and dropped him at Naraku's feet. The half-mad imp had regained consciousness some time ago, but hadn't moved from the spot where he'd been thrown.

Naraku looked down from his lofty height. "What am I going to do with you, Jaken?" he said. He idly twirled the liquid in his glass.

Jaken scrambled forward to seize Naraku's boot in his warty fingers. "Jaken is sorry, sorry! Yes he is! Jaken did not mean to lead abomination to throne room. Abomination threatened Jaken! Jaken is good! Jaken go now? Yes?" He peered up hopefully into Naraku's face.

Naraku waved his hand at a pair of demons that had entered the room unnoticed. "Take that thing away and have it beaten."

The two demons seized Jaken in their meaty hands and started to cart him away. Jaken let out a high-pitched terrified scream and began to writhe and bite, but the demons didn't seem to notice. He was still screaming as he was dragged out of the room.

Naraku looked over at the man who had come over silently to stand beside the throne. "Well, Bankotsu? What news do you have for me?"

"They reached the sakura garden a few minutes okay," Bankotsu replied. "Jakotsu reported that Kikyo showed up. Inuyasha stayed to talk to her, but he sent Kagome ahead to the border." He glanced sideways at Naraku. "He wants me to remind you that Inuyasha belongs to him."

"Tell Jakotsu to be patient," Naraku said. "Let Kikyo and Inuyasha have their little reunion, but don't let her kill him. Inuyasha and the girl are still of use to me. I can't have them getting themselves killed."

"And our payment," Bankotsu said blandly. "My men and I don't work for free."

"I'll have Menoumaru bring you a coffer from my treasure room," Naraku promised. "And I'll arrange some entertainment for your men. A few demons are becoming unruly. The Shichinintai can make an example of them."

Bankotsu nodded once, turned, and walked away.

Naraku smiled to himself once the mercenary had vanished. How like Bankotsu to try and withhold vital information from him. It would be entertaining to watch Inuyasha and his young charge try to escape. And when they inevitably failed, he would personally see to it that Haru learned the folly of trying to run away from her destiny.

^**^

**Food for Thought:** Some people are like slinkies – Not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs.

^**^

_I hope that was enjoyable and worth the wait. If we're lucky, it won't be another 3 years before I write another chapter!_


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